David Heinemeier Hansson at Startup School 08

This guy is a partner at 37signals, the creator of basecamp and Rails. He gives an inspiring (and quite funny) speech on making money online. It's a 30 minutes worth of your time ^_^

Link:
http://www.omnisio.com/startupschool08/david-heinemeier-hansson-at-startup-school-08

Website Relauch Specials!

OUI MADAME!

I just finished the re-design of my graphic design website! YAY! See a blurb from the main page:

«Rose Flash is a one-woman graphic and web design studio. You have come to the right place for your branding needs. Why? Because I specialize in women-run businesses branding. My job is to turn your vision into visibility.

At Rose Flash, you will talk to the designer, the accountant, the marketing expert and the owner simultaneously! Talk about a time saver and a top-notch customer service! I have a design solution for your needs, whatever your budget is.»

Are you enticed to check it out? Want more? Look:

Now go! http://design.roseflash.ca

Top 10 Creative blogger lists on Pot aux Roses

Check it out »Le pot aux roses

Let's talk about the birds and the bees and the flowers: Branding Philosophy

If you're in business, you know how important your branding, corporate image, corporate identity, whatever you call it, you know how important it is, right?

No?

You figured you might as well use your four year old last drawing to work up your lingerie-line logo?

You figured you will wait when you have hundreds of clients to put the money into a good design?

You figured if you just put your information somewhere, someone will be interested?

You figured you would search the Internet for a clip-art, download it to your computer and put your business name beside it?

WRONG-WRONG-WRONG AND WRONG!

Your branding is «the first impression» you give to your clients. Unfortunately, we don't live in a world where we can see «inside beauty» first, or how good your customer service is, or how your product leaks with awesomeness!

The bees and the flowers
Ok, this is sounding dirty, but it's cuter than «the fish and the hook» image! So, let me talk about Orchids! Orchids are wilds, beautiful flowers. There are about 25 000 sorts of Orchids and in my mind, they are the world's master of branding.

You see, Orchids, trough millennium of evolution, have developed highly specialized pollination systems, so specialized that they often have ONE type of pollinators (insects, bats, birds). Some mimic their pollinator's female sent, taste and, yes, form so that the males literally attempts to mate with flowers. Some have «landing platforms» intended for their pollinators. An underground Orchid even rely on ants to reproduce itself.

So why am I going discovery channel on you? Well..

You are the Orchid! You have to specialize your branding to attract your pollinators...er... targeted clients in order for you to survive your market!

Orchids did it in millenniums, you can do it in less time I'm sure. All you need is to find what will convey your audience to look at you and want to buy you instead of other flowers about. If you don't know, I suggest you do a market research and hire a professional graphic designer. After all, your business survival depend on it!