Rebranding

Branding is very important to a company. It is your identity and sets guidelines to operate within those boundaries. It establishes a culture and also will make you appealing towards certain markets. A business should rebrand when it is looking to change it's image, appeal to certain a market niche or when the entire business structure is in need of change.

It has been 9 months now since Collin Wo Graphic Design officially became a full fledged business. I am happy that I am still alive and kicking. During those months I have faced many new challenges and have changed routes many times. The goal is still in my sights, but I need to take a drastic new path to reach it. Thus I am rebranding my business.

To open new doors of opportunity, one must be brave and welcome change. My hard work ethic will always be there, except the market that I am hoping to cater to will expand. I have learned a lot of new skills and I am ready to offer new services to you.

Coming to you in the middle of September will be a new and improved Collin Wo Graphic Design. New logo, new services, improved workflow and a plethora of new skills added to the arsenal.
Stay tuned for a sweet brand new website with more details.

5 Reasons why you should hire a professional

One problem I keep noticing is that some people try to do everything themselves. This practice only works for a small percentage of the population. The gifted, geniuses and incredibly fast learners.

Here are 5 reasons why you shouldn't do everything yourself and should delegate some tasks to the professionals.

1) Time

Time is the most important 'thing' in life. We are all born with an hourglass over our heads that is continually running. Time must be spent doing something worthwhile such as with friends, family or pursuing your dreams. When you try todo everything yourself, it usually takes much longer than a professional would.

2) Money

Money is what makes the world go around. In theory you save yourself money by doing it yourself, but not always. For example if I were to fix my car, it would take me 8+ hours. With a loss of revenue of around $560. But if I paid a mechanic to do the job it would be around $300. I would actually make money by hiring someone.

3) Peace of Mind

No one wants to have a worry sit in the back of your mind. It is very distracting. Have you ever done something new but doubt that you have done it correctly? Peace of mind is essential to focus.

4) Experience

They are called professionals for a reason. They have spent many years to a lifetime crafting a skill. Guaranteed that they will do a better job then yourself with less problems after the job is done.

5) Energy

Life gets busier the older you get, and with age comes lessened energy levels. Just like #1, spend your energy doing what you love.

A Freelancer's Tale - Knowledge and the Beginning

Blogging is a necessity for businesses these days. It is basically another fishing line cast in the vast sea called the internet. It's purpose is to hopefully snag somebody and turn them into a customer. There are hundreds of topics to blog about. I am going to start a special blog focused around my journey as a freelance graphic designer. It will be basically shorts on my findings, learning and other things that I want to share with you. Here is the first instalment of 'A Freelancer's Tale.'

Knowledge and the Beginning

Since my venture into being an entrepreneur, I had to learn many, many things. Such as marketing, advertising, workflow, networking, taxes, financial planning, just to name a few. I gorged myself on information from all over the internet reading blogs, how-tos, tutorials and case studies to prepare myself for the journey ahead.

Being on your own, there is no one to look after you. It is pretty much, me, myself and I (and the cat). It was a bit of a scary thought. Being employed by a company is almost like being placed in a nursery. The taxes, health care, equipment, work and other things were all taken care of. All you had to do was show up on time do your work and avoid getting into trouble. But working for yourself, you become accountable for everything.

As I began to stuff my brain full of knowledge, and putting it into practice... I noticed something.
It is that things were not as difficult as it seems, and I began to surprise myself when I began to see how it all works. Like when Neo could see the wireframe in The Matrix.

As the days went by since day one, I forced myself to leave the comfort zone and explore the vast and uncomfortable zones that I never did dare to venture. And it turns out that I actually became quite comfortable in these zones after some time. Thus I kept growing bolder and began to seek out these uncomfortable zones and turning them into familiar territory.

I guess the main points that I learned is that, to always keep learning and improving. Be brave and venture into uncomfortable territory. The internet has all the answers to your problems if you seek it out. Keep improving your skill set, you may find some hidden talents.

Charity Work

I had an opportunity to help out Costco in conjunction with the Children's Miracle Network and The Children's Hospital recently. It was for the 'Miracle Month of May' Event. 

It is where customers can donate (x) amount of money and get their name printed on a balloon and hung onto the wall. The donations will then go towards the charities to help buy machinery and other needed items.

This is the first time I have helped out a charity, and to be honest it is a pretty rewarding feeling. All those years of schooling and years honing my skill now have the indirect chance to heal the wounded and perhaps save some lives. 

I guess the point of this blog is to do what you do best and enrich the lives of others in the process. In the pursuit of almighty dollar in business, there is an aspect of giving that is sometimes overlooked. 

So please, I encourage you to stop by Costco South location in Calgary during this month and make a donation. Those few dollars could really make a huge difference.

:)

Branding Management for Artists

The life of a professional musician is a lot like running a business. There is a wide spectrum of skills and knowledge that come into play. Aside from writing songs, one must learn, financial management, marketing, social media management, web design, branding management and a whole slew of other skills to become successful.

For those that know me personally, I have been making music professionally since 2005. I have been involved with 5 different projects and have helped produced some bands in town. Over the 8 year span
I have seen a lot of bands come and go and seen how many bands manage themselves.

What I now offer for my fellow musicians is 'Branding Management for Artists.'

To sum this up in a nutshell, is that I will be the unofficial behind the scenes member. I will take care of all the branding and everything else needed for the artist to look awesome. This includes logos, promo pictures, retouching photos, social media management, website creation and management, some digital marketing, merchandise creation, print management/ consultation and a whole lot more.

I say let the bands concentrate on writing the best music they possibly can, and let me handle their image/identity. For the time spent trying to learn Photoshop, they could have spent practicing their craft.

Musicians generally do no make very much money as it is, however though I support them entirely.
Thus I have special rates for artists. If you are in a band or know of bands needing help. Please let them know about this service. I would like to talk to them on how to enhance their image.

These days, music is only part of the equation. The other half is image. Look good, make great music, persevere until you reach that big stage.

:)

6 Tips for a Bulletproof Business Card

A business card is the single most important piece of print for any person.
A sharp, well designed and error free business card will put you in a credibility
league above the rest. Here are 6 tips to ensure that your business cards are bulletproof.

1. The Email Domain

Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo email domain names are definitely ones to look out for. 

Avoid these and ensure that your email domain matches with your website. 

Which coincidently takes us to number 2....

2. Proper Website

There are lots of free hosting and template sites out there. But the big catch is that
it adds extra words to your website address. So instead of www.thisismywebsite.com
it could become www.geocities.com/003f4/thisismywebsite.html
A website address must be short, memorable and relates to you what you do.
After you hand out your card, the first thing that most people do is visit the website.

3. Template Business Cards

There are lots of templates out there on the internet and in Microsoft Publisher. 

They have a set amount of background, and all you do is punch in your information.

Not only do they look bad, but they don't really convey who you are. Business cards must 

be custom.

4. Too Much Information

Instead of cramming everything on one side of the card, remember there is a backside too.

Having too much info in front of you creates a feeling of anxiety in some people.

5. Typos

Also make sure to test out your phone numbers and emails are correct.

6. Low Resolution

Before sending your file to the printers, ensure that it is not a jpeg, or some similar 

raster based file. And if you do, ensure that it is created at 300 dpi or greater.

A fuzzy card won't do. Everything must be crisp.

As a final note, don't be cheap on business cards. You must be proud when you hand them 

out to people. View proofs and ensure that your cards are being handled by professionals.

You can judge a lot from a business/individual by the appearance of their card. 

Social Media Etiquette 20 Ways to Maintain Respect and Avoid Being Annoying

In my line of work, social media is essential. It is great for finding business, interacting with people and promoting my line of work. Since the dawn of web 2.0 it has changed the way the world interacts with each other. Instant messages and status posts have become the norm. Often times we don’t realise it, but sometimes we are using it all wrong. A post carries more weight than what is spoken verbally. A post can be seen by hundreds, even thousands in a matter of seconds. What we say, stays on the internet. Even when deleted, it is still saved on a server somewhere in the world with a possibility of haunting you in the future. It is imperative to learn how to behave on social media so we don’t make a fool out of ourselves.

This is my list on how to effectively conduct yourself on social media and avoid being really annoying.

1. Never post while under the influence

Drunk ‘you’ and sober ‘you’ are two different people. What makes sense when you are under the influence will seem really childish to others. When you look back when sober, you will feel regret.

2. Practice Moderation

Posting lots in a row everyday is a very quick way to get blocked or unfriended. It takes effort to scroll down past excessive posts. Personally if I see more than 4 or 5 in a row everyday, I sigh and seriously contemplate hiding that person in the future. It is not mandatory to post everyday.

3. Vague Posts

This is posting in hopes someone will ask ‘“Why?” or ‘What is wrong?” This is a horrible tactic used as an excuse to vent your problems which ties into the next point of...

4. Dirty Laundry

Airing dirty laundry online is one of the worst things you can do. Not only are your problems visible to everyone. It lowers your reputation and tarnishes your image in the eyes of others. Problems happen, always take care of it privately.

5. Drugs

Did you know that employers are now looking you up on social media before they hire you. It is an effective screening process that saves them time and filters out bad candidates. Also the privacy rights keep evolving, so whatever you post, could be used against you in the court of law.

6. Excessive Babies

Your pride and joy will annoy the $%^# out of everyone if they see it excessively. There are even add-ons to social media to replace baby pictures with other images. If you want to share baby pictures, you can create lists that only show them to certain groups. For example certain friends and family only. 

7. Too much $%^&# Profanity

Excessive profanity is a sign of being low class and uneducated. If you must swear, use it sparingly at appropriate times.

8. Vanity

Yes you look pretty, but you don’t need to post a million pictures of yourself. Posting too many pictures of yourself in ‘hot’ poses or selfies in the mirror is a sign of insecurity and is a desperate cry for attention. 

9. Excessive dumb posts

It may seem cool to post dumb and quirky posts constantly, but what it is doing is showing others that you may suffer from a low IQ. 

10. Revealing Weaknesses

I know more about a stranger I met on social media for 1 week than I do about my family. Your posts, updates and reading between the lines will reveal your Achilles heel. Beware letting such information public, for it may be used as leverage against you.

11. Bragging

Inciting jealousy by bragging constantly is a great way to start trouble. Not to say that you should keep your proud achievements private, but rather be modest and think about the delivery of it.

12. Flirting

I find flirting publicly to be very amusing. From an outside perspective, I get to see if a person has any ‘game’, and if things go bad, then it becomes laughable. If you must flirt, avoid making it public, instead make a private message instead.

13. So you like something. I get it.

Excessive posts about the same topic will bore people quickly. Others will see you as one dimensional. Switch it up! There are a million different topics out there.

14. Religion

Religion... the ultimate taboo subject. Which religion is right? That is not for me to decide. Trying to convert others with facts and details on social media is a lost cause. One does not simply change faith on a drop of a dime. It takes much contemplation and soul searching.

15. Practise what you preach

Memes on motivational messages are now the rage these days. If you share it, make sure you follow it. Do not be a hypocrite.

16. Slacktivism

This term is the marriage of slack & activism. It is to create a feel-good feeling by doing little to contribute to the cause. Ever see those pictures of an injured child that say “If 1,000,000 people share this, I will get a operation?” That is an example of slacktivism. That picture was probably taken years ago, and no money gets donated by sharing a picture. If you truly want to make a difference, contact a charity.

17. Passive Aggression

If you have a problem with someone, address them directly and privately. By making a negative public post in hopes that the one person you have a problem with reads it, is a very terrible idea.

18. Negative Energy

Did you know that negative energy can be transferred? By projecting negativity onto social media, the reader will absorb some of it. It will manifest itself in the form of bad thoughts, sick feelings or other forms of negativity. The best answer is to cut off the source of negativity. After all who wants to feel bad anyways?

19. Ranting

Save all your rantings for the Craigslist forums. This is also a transfer of negative energy. See #18.

20. So you had a bad day... so what?

Everyone has bad days. It is a part of life. It is how you deal with it that separates the children from the adults. Constantly posting your problems will only create this vision of you as a drama-ridden individual. 

Conclusion:

Social media is here to stay. How you conduct yourself on there is of utmost importance. You can create friendships and dissolve friendships in the span of a few posts. If you have nothing good to say; say nothing at all, for it may cause problems down the road. If this blog has offended you, remember this: I am only saying what others are thinking already. Please think twice before posting.