6 posts tagged “business”

RealizDesigns.com is officially here.

After a period of what I call beta testing, the site is ready to launch.

You can find my recent work, along with some past favorites for clients. If you get a chance to have a look at the site, I would always appreciate critiques or comments, both good and bad.

Damn.

My internet suddenly stops working when I need to send a client an important email attachment! I call *hiddeninternetprovider* to ask them what's going on with my service, and they tell me it can take 24-36 hours to figure out, but mind you, this is on a Thursday. So by my estimation, because *hiddeninternetprovider* technicians do not work on the weekend, I'm looking at getting the internet back up and running by Tuesday or Wednesday at the earliest. And during a pressure-cooked week of email communication deadlines to boot!

So go to Future Shop to make sure this email gets to the client asap.

Yeah. Future Shop.

So I try to stealthily hide my USB memory stick into the back of one of the IMac's, and proceed to check my email there... while stealthily going back and forth from programs in case any of the commission-hungry sales reps tries to swoop in too close and find out what I'm doing.

Low and behold, they are sharing the internet connection... with all 50 demo model computers!

Can this day get any worse?

So while I wait for this slow-as-heck upload of my attachment, all the while seeming so genuinely interested in this IMac.... Then a sales person starts to observe me. (I almost hear the doot...doot...dootdoot...DOOTDOOT radar sound in his head going off, all pointed at ME.)

*cue moody faster paced music*

Right now the upload bar can't move fast enough. I feel like Sandra Bullock in "The Net" during the convention when she's on the computer and the bad guy is coming....Or any other tech-savvy movie where they always upload the file onto a disk just-in-the-nick of time.

UPLOAD COMPLETE.

SEND.

LOGOUT.

Close window.

Just in time!

ME, smoothly: "Wow, this Imac is pretty cool."

SALES: "Yeah, Let me show you some of the features like...."

Forget this, I'm ghost. I'm already starting the car by the time he turns around.

What I find out about all this?

I need the internet to run my business smoothly. There's just no way around it.

What else did I find out about all this?

I DON'T need the internet. Now before I get lambasted about the benefits of the internet. I need to stress the word "need". I really did okay the remaining 5 days without the internet. With the exception of being able to email any business-related things at my brother's house or a friend's place..... I was okay.

*gasp!*

Yeah it was a pretty peaceful week, sort of like the huge eastern-seaboard blackout, but smaller. And only focused on the internet. And I could still use elecricity and the computer. And I still could use the net if I had to at someone's house...

okay bad analogy, but you get it I hope.

It's been too long VOX.

Almost a month since my last post, I pulled a Kanye and hid out and "lock yourself in a room, doin' 5 beats a day for 3 summers"... but not really beats, but just focusing on some things that I need to focus on. Hibernatin' so to speak....

And with that, I've finally graduated my business incubation classes! The 10 week intense course that focuses on the creation of a solid business plan, along with market research, accounting, powerful math of sales, and other vital preparatory classes...... IS DONE! As of today I officially graduated and I'm on my own!

Now I'm scared SH!%less because it's a scary world out there with client meetings, briefs, contracts, etc.... but this is my calling! All or nothing, and I'm better prepared than most through this program, it was one of the best choices I made this year... and there was a lot of great stuff that's happened this year, so that's REALLY saying something!

2007: Big things!

Hiya VOX, I missed you!

I had 4 meetings today. All business related.

I feel like a businessman.

But deep down I'm really not a businessman.

Am I?

I guess this is what metamorphoses feels like.

I better savor this feeling....

But it doesn't feel a whole lot different than yesterday, except I have stuff to do that I get money in return for.

And I get to fill out more forms tax-time.

I guess I'm a businessman.

I'm in!

So all this time I'm going on and on about how 2007 is the year for positive change, blah blah blah... I've been truly pushing harder than I have ever been since... well, a LONG TIME. The last couple of years I call the "I got it out of my system" years. I went out anywhere between 4-6 days a week, and came home around 1am - 3am usually. Very carefree, very fun.... But something clicked this year and I've been on this crazy 360 degree flip in my lifestyle:

1. Quit smoking (over 100 days now)
2. Enrolled back in college for my last class to graduate.
3. Rarely go out.
4. Spend more time with family.
5. Focus on designing.
6. Saving money.
7. Almost ready to start running again. (C'mon Canada, get warm already!)

and the next thing for 2007: I got accepted into a program where I will be trained the ins & outs in how to run a business! My business: freelance graphic design services + hiring/contacting graphic designers... I've been getting a lot of offers lately and wanted to do things right. I tried once before to set up a business, which, on the creative/art side went amazing, but when it came down to the business side of things, I can admit it is not my forté. I'm good at math and stuff, but its things like taxes, legal documents, contracts, etc... that are just not my thing, but hopefully will be!

So the program is 52 weeks(!) and the first 10 weeks are intense, and the remaing 42 you work on your business and how to run it, with the help of a business advisor. This week we're learning the ins and outs of a good business plan, which is the key piece when starting up a business. It can lead to so many opportunities and help set smart objectives for the business....

Wish me luck!

2007: BIG things!