January 2010 Archives
Continue reading Interactive Art.
"Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify!"~Henry David Thoreau As a marketing and strategy consultant, I'm often asked, "What's the best way to reach people? Television, radio, newspaper, trade magazines, online, word-of-mouth?" My response is always, "Go where your customers are." In my last post, I talked about defining your customer - taking the time to specifically figure out who you want to reach with your organization. A major aspect of knowing your customer is understanding how they get information about businesses like yours. The easiest way to find out is simply to ask them. No matter which...
Continue reading Reach the people who matter .
"The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself."~Peter F. Drucker In my last post, I asked you to articulate your organization's "promise" - the main reason you're in business. When doing this, you probably thought about your expertise, the products you offer or the specific type of service you provide. While this is necessary, the second step to defining your promise is to fully understand who you're trying to reach with your business. In my consulting, I've heard companies say, "I'd like to reach everyone!" Their...
Continue reading Define your Customer.
"To open a shop is easy, to keep it open is an art" This Chinese proverb probably hits home as the economy's downturn impacts your design business. No matter if you're a one person shop or one of many in a large firm, the realization is that forces, often outside of your control, impact the job you do. But what about the things that ARE in your control? What are the things that can be done on a regular basis to differentiate you or your company from your competitors? I've partnered with Design Arts Seminars, Inc. to do recurring blog...
Continue reading To open a shop is easy....
Mandatory continuing education requirements (MCER) are not, by far, one of the most exciting things out there. That being said, we - at Design Arts Seminars, Inc. - do spend quite a bit of time (so you don't have to) researching the mandatory continuing education requirements (MCER) in place in each state for each of the professions we serve (currently architects, interior designers and landscape architects). We will use this MCER section of our blog to address mandatory continuing education requirements along with any questions or comments you may have. Post your questions or comments using the "comments" link below....
Continue reading MCER Basics.
Let's face it, I can't think of one person or business whose year 2009 was not, in some way, challenging. I (personally) and we (at Design Arts Seminars, Inc.) are no exception. We lived through it and learned a couple of things along the way: Focus on core values and do what you do best: I think this one is plain common sense but 2009 served as a reminder that we should focus on what sets us apart from the competition. This goes for individuals and businesses. Find your niche - aka competitive advantage - and stick to it. This...
Continue reading '09 Lessons Learned.
We are here to serve your continuing education needs. We launched this blog to get to know you so we can better serve your continuing education needs. We have a couple of ideas of our own but would love to hear from you. Sign in and share your thoughts. Let us know what we can do to make continuing education work for you. In case you were wondering, we named this blog DNA for you are what makes us. You are our DNA. You lie at the heart of our work. Coincidentally, DNA also stands for Design 'N Architecture......
Continue reading Design Arts' DNA.
Featured Profile(s)
Manuel León Ponce
Sponsor(s)
Rapid Press
"For well over 10 years, Design Arts Seminars' business cards, custom binders, pocket folders and brochures have all been produced by Rapid Press. What Rapid Press delivers in terms of quality, service, reliability, professionalism and peace of mind is - put quite simply - priceless (but never overpriced). I encourage you to contact Rapid Press for any of your printing and mailing needs (small or large). Call Lourdes at 1.800.828.7346 or request a quote online."
Micène Fontaine, Director of Educational Programs
