January 2012
2 posts
How to Expand Your Business Model and Blast Off...
Social media is here to stay. In 2009, a US Department of Education study revealed that on average, online students out performed those receiving face-to-face instruction (www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIFYPQjYhv8 ) So, what better way to sell an e-book than through social media?
With the above statistic in mind, I created a show on Ustream TV to compliment my e-book, How to Expand Your Business Model...
Working Curls: a dark comedy →
eBook now available for Nook and Kindle for 99¢!
November 2011
2 posts
1 tag
Memory Collage
Now that the days are shorter and colder, the life we had in the summer has changed significantly. It is a time when longing and depression attempt to fill the void of bike rides and blue pools. For an art therapist, it’s a great time to initiate a memory collage.
A child I work with misses the turtles from the pond he visited daily over the summer. This is a subject matter we’ve...
About Sculpting the Heart with Art Therapy by... →
Here is a new, art therapy book on the market that shares tactical methods for coping with depression through art therapy. The author doesn’t hold back her transparency and truly shows she wants to help. This book is honest and not shrouded in technical terms and aloofness. You will read purposeful quotes from famous artists all the way from Oliver Wendell Holmes to Dave Chappelle.
Also,...
October 2011
3 posts
Put All Your Eggs in One Basket
It seems that every time my sons sit down to their homework or need to get in the car, they want a snack. They need something substantial, but not loaded with fat and salt like Hot Pockets. So my solution was to put scrambled eggs in a waffle cone and sprinkle them with Cheez-Its. My kids loved the scrambled egg snack so much that I took the idea from breakfast to lunch and dessert. Breakfast...
February 2010
2 posts
4 tags
10 Headline Templates from the Pros
Headlines are the gatekeeper to getting abundant clicks and there is a fine line and a quick instant that triggers the decision for further investigation - or not.
Below are ten headline templates sure to get clicks - just fill in the blanks, Mad Libs style - you can even practice on a long car trip.
1. MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN (doing something - anything that takes a smig of skill)
2. NEW...
4 tags
3 Surprising Consumer Comforts
The obvious go-tos for consumer comforts are food and “toys.” We know who has that down to science! When I think of my own creature comforts I think of fleece blankets, whip cream and my iPod. But in this age of awareness, clever entrepreneurs are responding to consumer needs in a not-so-conventional way - they’re thinking longer term.
1. A Change of Space co-owners have coined...
January 2010
5 posts
2 tags
5 Marketing Strategies Applicable to Your Kid's...
“Your kid is in the bottom three of the class,” was the unpleasant reality presented at my last teacher conference. It was then decided that I would bring my first-grader into school early, twice a week, for math help. After the second tutoring session the teacher e-mailed me to say she had a difficult time with my son. By the third session, we were dumped. “Something’s come up and I can no longer...
5 tags
How a McDonald's Ad Got on my Vision Board
A vision board is a powerful device for showing our subconscious a desired end result. Ask yourself what you want. Is it money, laughter, companionship, an ocean view?
Having accomplished so much, both personally and professionally in the last five years, I decided it was time to think about enjoying myself – really savoring the life I’ve built.
Over the weekend, I took a huge stack of...
5 tags
Don't Put Off Until Tomorrow What You Can Blog...
Ideas are usually timely, triggered by something you just heard or read. Why waste time relating the subject to your business or cause? Why - because you may think the time could be better. Or you could gather more information. No problem with the latter - just gather more info immediately.
If people are talking about something now, changes are the interest in that subject with fade or become...
5 tags
Are You Excited About that Idea?...P-a-u-s-e...
I’ll take that as a “no.”
Maybe I’m absorbed with my current read, Man’s Search For Meaning,” or maybe I am an entrepreneur clairvoyant. I just can’t ignore obvious signs of disinterest. I talked to a client for an hour today. He wanted to run an idea by me. He had all the right answers and his risk was in check. Then after asking all my business model...
4 Self Promo Media Sites You Need To Know About!
In this video, I talk about 4 online media outlets for self-promoting and for learning smart marketing strategies. They are: 1. ExpoTV.com; 2. VideoJug.com; 3. blogtalkradio.com/blurb; 4. Biz Court: Is it a Business or a Hobby - www.ustream.tv/CristinFrank
Check it out and add more self-promo sites you like! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CRpGo4NGAI&feature=youtube_gdata
December 2009
2 posts
6 tags
4 Crazy Creative Ways to Create Income From...
If a picture can say 1,000 words about your business, will a calendar say 12,000?
Below I’ve listed 5 additional, creative ways to make money off your company calendar:
1. Solicit 11 contributors - For a flat rate (if you’re distributing them for free) or a cost per sale, get 11 other experts in your field to contribute a photo with information, tips or a review. Leave one month for...
WatchWant help making decisions? View your horoscope. Sound crazy? When we’re told what to do, we can better determine what we want.
November 2009
12 posts
1 tag
5 Ways to Humanize Your Image
With all the threats to our personal identity these days, stranger danger is ever-present. But when you’re starting a business, you need to be building ladders to the public. You’re company is never going to grow to its full potential if you only reach out through personal references. The best way to build the trust you need to attract the public is through humanization.
There is so much emphasis...
4 tags
How to NOT get too far ahead of yourself
Anxiety comes from outside of our comfort zone. The problem is, if we don’t get out of that zone, we’re not going to go anywhere. By knowing our stride we can continue to grow without leaping to a breaking point. Getting too far ahead of ourselves damages our credibility and confidence.
Below are 5 guides to staying in check while continuing to move forward:
1. Mass production doesn’t mean...
3 tags
Where Does Obedience Belong in the Life of an...
I’ve always said that being an entrepreneur takes courage, and for us, obedience is the opposite of courage. Obedience means that there are already rules to follow and someone else’s expectations to be met. (Leave the BS for the franchise owners).
So, I have been struggling with an issue in my gum that started with a popcorn kernel being impaled into it. I’m now seeing a periodontist. He...
4 tags
6 Ways to know if you have a business or just a...
Entrepreneurs, let’s not fool ourselves with all this talk of doing what we love and the money will, um, fund an early retirement.
I’m all for doing what you love, believe me, I just don’t want you to think you have a business when what you really have is a fine-tuned, fully operational hobby.
Here’s a quick gut-check on the realities of a business vs. a hobby:
1....
6 tags
Plan = Commitment
A Business model is the antidote to fear of commitment. Hopefully, you’re a list person, but a list is a short-term plan. Think how lists self generate when you have a business model. If you have your business road map, you can move freely from one step to the next on the way to your goals. Look at it this way: if you’re not sure you have it in you or you’re not sure how big you want to get or...
5 tags
The Yin & Yang of Business
An entrepreneur’s greatest asset is his or her partnerships. For obvious reasons, partnerships increase your target audience, bolster your reputation and share resources. But, partnerships also have the ability to make a business successful simply by linking two skill sets that otherwise cannot stand alone. Capitol Media Solutions is a great example of balanced leadership from multi-generational...
4 tags
Buffer Customer Risk to Up the Sale
Customer incentives that give that cozy feeling of no-risk are especially strategic in a down economy. I just read about a new bar/restaurant whose theme is pairings of wine and tapas. A couple smart offerings for their budget conscious customers caught my eye. For patrons that don’t finish their bottle of wine, they package it so it can legally be taken home. This is a clever way to...
4 tags
Be Thankful You Don't Have a Pension
Entrepreneurs are not the type who bank on someone else or leave things to chance. If we were, we’d be lotto players not entrepreneurs. I have several friends and family members who have a pension coming to them - either now or after they retire. So many times I’ve heard them referred to as “lucky.” I beg to differ. My neighbor told me his father retired on a pension in the...
5 tags
Entrepreneurs' Need for Critique
What happens when you ask your mom for her opinion? She coats it in sugar and you walk away encouraged. What happens when you ask a professor, a peer or a stranger? You get something closer to the truth. Almost as feared as public speaking, open critiques are a critical step in a creative launch. It may feel like baptism-by-fire, but an honest critique is the best way to troubleshoot your idea,...
3 tags
The Business of Birthday Parties
“Who’s doing your birthday party?” is joining the ranks of “Where do you vacation?” From pottery and jewelry making to reptiles and paintball, the birthday party has evolved to a billion dollar business. This summer I thought it prudent to keep my son’s party at our house. I entertained ten kids with a scavenger hunt, Nerf gun target practice, water balloons and...
3 tags
It's a Dog Treat Dog World
Dog mania is in every corner of business. There is no need to worry about going overboard about it because someone has already made a lifejacket for Spot. I was at the dentist this morning flipping through Better Homes and Gardens when I saw an ad for the Original Snuggie. As I was about to turn the page I noticed in the bottom left of the ad there was a dog in a Snuggie. The ad was so cheesy that...
The How-To Business Model
This is a must read if you want to make your “parts” sellable. Parts are the items that make up what you are. Say you’re a photographer: you take pictures. Well you also may have bought studio space. Any advice you can share on that? There isn’t just a handful of people on the market for a studio, there are thousands. Do you take portraits? There are millions of Americans...
October 2009
8 posts
Where is the Peanut-free Movement
Food allergies are extremely prevalent, affecting between 4-8% of children, but most are not as dangerous as a peanut allergy, which affects approximately 1% of children. And if one person in a classroom is allergic to peanuts, the whole class is without peanuts and anything that even looked at a peanut. Last night I had to make cookies for one class and cupcakes for another – all without any...
Pumpkins: A Universal Application?
Can your business collaborate with nature’s favorite squash? Near me, pumpkins are being sold at a carwash. Drive a little further and there’s a salon advertising “pumpkin pedicures.” Next there is a hamburger stand selling pumpkin sundaes. I noticed that Hershey’s came out with a pumpkin flavored Kit Kat bar. Is pumpkin the new chocolate? No way, chocolate is so...
Turkeys Behaving Badly
There are no hormones or cages on this farm, but they may need to think about referees. I’m talking about a spectacular farm near me that is killing it -literally and figuratively. This fall I paid a visit to pick some apples and let the kids see their turkeys and goats. My kids love that crap. While I was twiddling my thumbs by the turkey garden, two of the turkeys got in a fight. I’m...
Corporate "Domination" for a Community Upgrade
The Chicago Sun Times reported that the devil, I mean savvy Apple Inc. is going to fork over millions of dollars to rehab a CTA station. Apple will then be able to “dominate” advertising in that station. It just so happens that Apple has a retail store adjacent to the CTA stop. Let’s look at this from a business standpoint. The CTA, according to the Sun Times is “cash...
Passive Aggressive PR
Unsolicited services, unconventional product “donations” are not new strategies for businesses to get noticed, they’re just bold strategies. I knew a very creative business owner who told me his idea to create storefront signage for small businesses with broken or lackluster signs. He wasn’t going to sell it to them; he planned on replacing their sign on the DL during the...
Bypassing Brilliance?
Have you read the Washington Post article about Joshua Bell, a famous violinist who played a $3.5 million dollar violin in a subway station during rush hour? Those who orchestrated the experiment to see if anyone would stop and notice him were “mystified” that he was basically ignored. One analyst suggested it was because he was out of context. No kidding, that was the point! The article concluded...
Career Day at Sacred Heart Academy
A month ago I was asked to speak to the students at my alma mater about preparing for a career in graphic design. I’ve got twenty minutes to speak. For starters they want to know what classes they should take and what sort of salary can they expect after they graduate. My advice? Start your career today, online, and let the formalities of college fall in place. Oh, and no matter what, take...
“Don’t confuse having an imagination with having vision.”
– Cristin Frank