My blogger images is full.
My life is full. I'm done blogging.
I'm going to go enjoy that full life.
Find me at www.jessiemariestudio.com.
12.07.2012
Money Map
Exercise: Make Your Moola Map
"Begin getting a handle on your financial picture by identifying your income and expenses... [L]et's get a visual inventory of where your money comes in (income/sales) and goes out (expenses/costs) by making your Moola Map." - Right-Brain Business Plan, page 106
It is very fitting that this exercise landed when it did. Every year around this time Jarrod & I review our personal budget & this year is no different. Before I post the Jessie Marie Studio Money Map I want to tell you a little story about our personal finances.
We found out that we are not living within our means. Those pesky once a year bills, like car insurance, have come due. For a second year in a row we've had to dip into our savings. This would be fine if we have been saving money throughout the year. We haven't. Our savings was created during the glory days of two incomes & no kids. Over four years ago now. It really is amazing how long the money has lasted. But since the money won't last forever we sat down & created a zero-based budget to start 2013 off with. A budget that accounts for those one time payments & even replenishes our savings a little bit each month. It's going to be really tight. All the more reason to look at how we can increase our income by making Jessie Marie Studio successful.
And with that I bring to you the Money Map for Jessie Marie Studio. I've removed the numbers to keep things confidential. Next up filling out a spreadsheet. Fun times!
"Begin getting a handle on your financial picture by identifying your income and expenses... [L]et's get a visual inventory of where your money comes in (income/sales) and goes out (expenses/costs) by making your Moola Map." - Right-Brain Business Plan, page 106
It is very fitting that this exercise landed when it did. Every year around this time Jarrod & I review our personal budget & this year is no different. Before I post the Jessie Marie Studio Money Map I want to tell you a little story about our personal finances.
We found out that we are not living within our means. Those pesky once a year bills, like car insurance, have come due. For a second year in a row we've had to dip into our savings. This would be fine if we have been saving money throughout the year. We haven't. Our savings was created during the glory days of two incomes & no kids. Over four years ago now. It really is amazing how long the money has lasted. But since the money won't last forever we sat down & created a zero-based budget to start 2013 off with. A budget that accounts for those one time payments & even replenishes our savings a little bit each month. It's going to be really tight. All the more reason to look at how we can increase our income by making Jessie Marie Studio successful.
And with that I bring to you the Money Map for Jessie Marie Studio. I've removed the numbers to keep things confidential. Next up filling out a spreadsheet. Fun times!
11.28.2012
Consistent Marketing
"Next, you'll need to decide how you're going to engage with [your customers]." Right-Brain Business Plan, pg 87
A couple of weeks back I wrote how this fall I have started using a plan that compartmentalizes when I do my marketing tasks for Jessie Marie Studio. Even though I use a variety of marketing mediums, the one I have used since the beginning of 2007 is an email newsletter.
The newsletter started off being sent monthly from my gmail account to a small list of friends & family. It has become an HTML email sent out quarterly to over 300 people through Campaign Monitor. The content has changed slightly over the years, but the readers have always gotten an update of the creative work I am doing.
I believe this consistent marketing medium has helped my business gain traction.
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Read the most recent newsletter here.
Sign up for your own quarterly copy here.
11.22.2012
Happy Thanksgiving!
Take a minute and focus on everything you have been blessed with this year.
I am personally thankful for my deepened relationship with Jesus, my amazing husband, my energetic daughter, my new son, my extended family, my CU family, my friends, our cute rental home, good food & days filled with sunshine.
Happy Thanksgiving!
11.19.2012
Project | Revolution Packaging
Before becoming a Mommy Freelancer I worked at Horizon Hobby, Inc. I created advertising, packaging and everything in between for Radio Control toys. One of the final projects I did was to rebrand a heli accessory brand called Revolution. I found out recently that the packaging that was proposed in the concept stage is not only being used almost fully in tact, but has won an award! See the insert from Facebook below. It's the rotor blade packaging on the top right.
11.14.2012
Clarity
What is the clear vision for Jessie Marie Studio, LLC?
Finding the answer to this question is like looking through the refractor at the eye doctor & being asked "which is better A or B?" You may be able to read the letters at the other end of the room through both A and B, but B makes them perfectly clear. You didn't know B existed until the optometrist flipped the lens in front of your eyes. And then she asks, "which is better B or C?" C is crisper than B was. How can this be? B was so beautiful until C came along.
Finding a clear path for your business to follow is like that. You have to be open to new opportunities. Have the confidence you made the best choice with the information you had. And know that choice has the chance to change in the future.
Last week during my monthly Ideas + Soup get together I presented the progress I have made on my Right-Brain Business Plan. Much like going in for a yearly eye appointment. I needed help figuring out who to focus my marketing efforts on. After a discussion with Katie Martin, from CU Speech Consultants, I created the following tiers of clients:
Graphic Design :: Primary
Small Bussinesses & Start Ups especially Work-at-Home Mothers
cards below
Graphic Design :: Secondary
Churches/Non-Profits
RC Companies
Technical Illustration
Prepress Opportunities
no cards used since these aren't the kinds of clients I am actively seeking
Photography :: Primary
Young Familes
card shown below
Photography :: Secondary
Couples
Mature Familes
no cards used since these aren't the kinds of clients I am actively seeking
After deciding who I was going to primarily target I decided I am going to create a refined elevator speech for those clients. Plus, my plan is to make a handout that talks to those primary groups. Hopefully both of those things will continue to bring clarity to the business I'm creating.
Finding the answer to this question is like looking through the refractor at the eye doctor & being asked "which is better A or B?" You may be able to read the letters at the other end of the room through both A and B, but B makes them perfectly clear. You didn't know B existed until the optometrist flipped the lens in front of your eyes. And then she asks, "which is better B or C?" C is crisper than B was. How can this be? B was so beautiful until C came along.
Finding a clear path for your business to follow is like that. You have to be open to new opportunities. Have the confidence you made the best choice with the information you had. And know that choice has the chance to change in the future.
Last week during my monthly Ideas + Soup get together I presented the progress I have made on my Right-Brain Business Plan. Much like going in for a yearly eye appointment. I needed help figuring out who to focus my marketing efforts on. After a discussion with Katie Martin, from CU Speech Consultants, I created the following tiers of clients:
Graphic Design :: Primary
Small Bussinesses & Start Ups especially Work-at-Home Mothers
cards below
 |
| Small Businesses & Start Ups | Front |
 |
| Small Businesses & Start Ups | Back |
 |
| Especially Work-at-Home Mothers | Front |
 |
| Especially Work-at-Home Mothers | Back |
Graphic Design :: Secondary
Churches/Non-Profits
RC Companies
Technical Illustration
Prepress Opportunities
no cards used since these aren't the kinds of clients I am actively seeking
Photography :: Primary
Young Familes
card shown below
 |
| Young Families | Front |
 |
| Young Families | Back |
Photography :: Secondary
Couples
Mature Familes
no cards used since these aren't the kinds of clients I am actively seeking
After deciding who I was going to primarily target I decided I am going to create a refined elevator speech for those clients. Plus, my plan is to make a handout that talks to those primary groups. Hopefully both of those things will continue to bring clarity to the business I'm creating.
11.12.2012
Project | The Rheticus Forum 2012-2013
St. Andrew's Lutheran Church and Campus Center asked me to work with them again this year to promote their lecture series on faith and science. Last year we created the brand look, ie. distinct colors, type usage & repeated design elements. This year we used the established branding, but updated the name from Faith & Science in Dialogue to The Rheticus Forum.
As well as doing design work for the project, I also made a marketing plan to help the client know when to do what. The plan for the lecture tomorrow night is below. If you are free & in the area you should really head over for the event.
 |
| The poster for the entire 2012-2013 lecture series. |
 |
| A bulletin insert will be created for each speaker to send to local churches. |
 |
| A flyer will be created for each lecture to be used on the University of Illinois campus. |
 |
| A program cover will be designed for each lecture to be used the day of the event. |
As well as doing design work for the project, I also made a marketing plan to help the client know when to do what. The plan for the lecture tomorrow night is below. If you are free & in the area you should really head over for the event.
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