New Site Release: The Talent Strategy Group

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Screen Shot 2013-06-13 at 4.57.10 PMThis week we released a new template-based WordPress website for Paula Fontana of the Talent Strategy Group.  Paula has started a new business focusing on helping both companies and individuals through employment change. Her unique style and years of experience will make her an asset to anyone faced with career management needs here in CT.

We guided Paula through the process of selecting a theme, then configured the heck out of it until it looked perfect! The result is a clean, exciting website that is responsive and scalable on all shapes and sizes of screens. Here’s what Paula had to say about the project:

In launching a new consulting business, I needed someone who “got me” and understood the impact that my services would have on people considering or already in a career transition. I needed this site to be simple to navigate, “worry free” and inspiring.  Scott and his team did a wonderful job translating my business objectives into a fresh, crisp site that resonates confidence and ease of doing business.  What a wonderful customer experience!  Thank you, Scott!

Well, thank you, Paula!  It was a fun project for us, and we look forward to being part of your team in the future.

Check it out: www.thetalentstrategygroup.com

Inspiration

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Strangely enough, finding inspiration can be a challenge when your life and work are devoted to creative pursuits. Ironic, huh? Even though I’m not directly responsible for coming up with new design ideas, it’s important for me to remain open and excited about design trends, new technology, and business. The daily grind of email, phone calls, support, and other issues often get in the way of that excitement, so it is important to make an intentional plan of inspiration.

Here are some things that work for me:

  • Start the day with something inspiring. I have a daily routine that includes coffee (just 1/2 cup now!), reading, podcasts, and time outside, before starting in on business. It helps keep things in perspective, and I approach my clients in a better frame of mind.
  • Read books that are inspirational. See last week’s post on books…
  • Listen to uplifting and educational podcasts. My personal every day go-to is www.morningcoach.com. Absolutely worth the $20/month and daily 15 minutes to be inspired to help people and be successful in the process.
  • Turn off the TV. Starting the day with news interrupted with commercials is rarely inspiring, yet valuable time flies away when you’re doing it.
  • suLook at art online, read inspiring blogs. I have to admit to being newly-addicted to www.stumbleupon.com! In addition to cool blog posts about topics that I enjoy, the images and mind-stretching websites created by super-cool creatives make me smile and say, “Wow.”  Stumbleupon learns what you love as you “stumble” through the web more, and I find it a great break in the day to just take it in.
  • Get out. Running is a relatively new thing in my life, and most enjoyable because I’m out in nature, and grateful for its beauty.
  • Do something with your hands. For me, it used to be woodworking – creating something you can hold in your hands is a nice balance when your primary work is virtual.  Recently I’ve taken up whittling, which is completely portable!

Here’s another great article that I found very helpful: 6 Simple Rituals to Reach Your Potential Every Day - some of them may surprise you!

The best part of any of the above – none of them takes very long, and the payoff is huge. Take an hour or two every day to keep yourself inspired. Your family, your clients, and best of all – YOU – will be much happier!

New Site Release: Hus Furniture

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Screen Shot 2013-06-07 at 12.45.04 PMNeeding a great, visually-strong WordPress website to help grow their business, we were approached by Chris Paulhus to create a new website for Hus Furniture, in New Britain, CT.  A work in progress, the WordPress editing capabilities make it possible for the website to expand as the business does, and for Chris to add new images as newer installations happen.  Hus Furniture has the distinction of being one of a very few American companies that still make tile-top tables, and their quality is first-rate.

Check out the newest member of the North Forty Road family, www.husfurniture.com!

Business Books

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A great line from a Billy Joel song: “You’ve gotta stay in style and feed your head.” I feed my head the good ‘ol fashioned way – by reading.  Here are a few of my current favorite business books that you may find inspiring and helpful:

happiness-advantageThe Happiness Advantage: Not only does your attitude directly affect the way you are perceived by your clients and business associates, it affects you. In this great book, Shawn Achor takes the reader through seven specific methods of positive energy that really changed my perspective. Deeper and more practical than many other “power of positive thinking” books, The Happiness Advantage is a must read for anyone who works with people.

The Power of Habit: From the smallest patterns in our lives, to the deep entrenched habits that are tough to break, our lives are filled with things we do repeatedly, good and bad. Containing story after story and scientific research, The Power of Habit not only debunks some important mysteries of habit in our own lives (and thereby helping us to break the bad ones), but helps us learn how to turn our understanding of others’ habits into business success. A mind bender, and a great read!

Rework: This is an unusual book that I keep nearby for those times in the work day that a different perspective is needed. With short, effective bits of info, Rework forces you to look at your business in new and different ways: don’t make a business plan, you don’t need investors, ignore the competition…  All great advice to help you stay your own course, because you are valuable on your own! Very inspiring.

Make time to read about your work every day – it keeps you on top of your game!

Blogging: Go for it!

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ID-10085359I had a client this week tell me that she had set up a blog, and spent several hours just looking at the “Add New Post” button, and finally decided she should write something. In the process of writing, she realized that she had something unique to share, and loved doing it!

This blog started out as a way to promote new sites that we have designed and released here at North Forty Road. Eventually we began sharing tips on using WordPress, our primary website platform, and the internet in general. More recently, we started sharing general small business help – technical tips, marketing tips, and even spiritual guidance. It has become somewhat popular, especially within our LinkedIn community.

My biggest hangup was that there are so many blogs out there…. How could I present anything unique? Well, we all have a unique voice, and we all have something to say. So, if you’re even considering doing a blog, I say “go for it!” Write a couple of posts, send them to folks you know, ask them for feedback. People love giving sharing their opinion, so take advantage of that! And then, make a regular schedule.  Don’t try to do it every day; start with weekly, or even monthly.

There are some great WordPress tools to help build your readership: The Subscribe2 plugin adds a sidebar signup area for folks to subscribe to your blog – they’ll receive your new posts via email, and can comment by replying to that email. The Jetpack plugin allows you to send your posts directly and automatically to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and more – very convenient!

The tools are great, but the inspiration can come from anywhere.  Remember that you do have a voice. Share it!

(Photo courtesy Stuart Miles, freedigitalphotos.net)

Reciprocity: it’s real, it works.

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ID-10058192As a business owner, I have a constant internal debate: Profitability or service? Help people or concentrate on the bottom line? I’m certain that I’m not alone in that debate. As someone who really enjoys helping people, yet has a good business sense and the need and desire to run a successful business, it often feels like these two concepts can’t co-exist. They can.

I started North Forty Road because I love great design and its ability to teach and present information in cool ways. Eventually, I came to see my work as serving the world and helping other businesses better themselves, which I enjoy even more than the design itself. It is a service, and it is based on trust, and providing that service allows me to learn new and different things with my clients. I find that “learning together” very exciting to this day.

Recently, I got bogged down with financial goals for my firm. Last year, we set new goals that were a real stretch, and worked hard, and reached them. So, I set even higher goals for 2013, and kept those numbers at the forefront of my thinking for the last several months. Bad idea. Didn’t work! The phone stopped ringing, new clients were looking for projects that weren’t a good match, current clients stopped being responsive.

It took awhile, but I eventually realized that the problem was me, or rather my mindset. Once I shifted my focus back on helping people, everything shifted back into high gear: calls started coming in, and the money began flowing again. And the best part? I love helping! That’s not news, really – I always have. But, making the helping secondary to the financial goals is not only more fun and more meaningful, it also comes back in financial success.

So, yes: set goals, pay attention to your numbers. But, no: don’t make the numbers your priority. Love your work, love your clients, give, and help – the reward is great on so many levels!

(Photo courtesy Renjith Krishnan, freedigitalphotos.net)

New Site Release: Pakachoag Music School

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Pakachoag Community Music SchoolWe are honored to launch a new WordPress site today for Pakachoag Music School of Greater Worcester!

This is a special honor for me, as I was a member of the faculty at Pakachoag for several years, and have helped them keep their web presence moving forward for quite awhile. The new WordPress installation allows Sarah Smongeski, Executive Director, and her staff, to keep timely info always available to students, faculty, and the public.

Sarah writes:

The new site complements the School’s growth over the past 10 years (since our original site was unveiled in 2003), providing current and prospective students and donors with easier and quicker access to an increasingly wide array of program, event and community support information. For me, personally, the web site is a great visual of how the support of the larger community is contributing to sustaining a robust, regional program serving over 40 communities stretching from Bolton and Southborough to Sturbridge and northern Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Check the site out today, and if you or your child is looking for top notch music instruction, you’ll be glad you paid them a visit!

Yep, you need one.

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ID-10094928The question continues to be asked: “Do I need a website for a small business?”  Even with social media grabbing more and more attention, the answer is the same as it was 15 years ago: “YES, you need a website!”

Here are a few things to consider:

  • Your website is open 24-7. Even when you are making sales visits, helping clients, eating or sleeping, your website is open for business and selling your product or service.
  • Your website is your identity. Those “yellow” books that list businesses are a thing of the past.  People who are looking for what you do will Google you. Period.
  • Online advertising reaches more people and is cheaper. Compare the ongoing costs of a website (especially one you can edit on your own) to print ads, television, billboards, etc. And who looks at those?
  • Reach further. Remember, it is the WORLD wide web… your reach is only limited by what you offer.
  • Be relevant.  With blogs and editable websites, you can have your most current info in front of potential customers, today!
  • Stand out! With a well-designed website, potential customers see that you take your business seriously, and will then seriously consider you.

In an age where more and more social sites compete for our attention, the standard website is still the expected .com location for all serious businesses. This article (a little dated, but still so true) sheds some more light on the importance of a good website for your business: Why You Need a Website. And, don’t forget to contact us to discuss your own website needs.  It’s what we do!

(Photo courtesy rajcreationzs, freedigitalphotos.net)