I would love to purchase some and plant them for some customers. When their businesses grow as the result of our magic bean planting I would occasionally submit a small report – maybe just a page or two with pretty graphs showing the astronomical growth Connection Graphics has nurtured in such a short amount of time.

What a great way to live! We would have infinite love and gratitude from hundreds of clients – because once those magic beans are planted for one customer the word will spread and we’d have a full crop of growing companies under our care. What company doesn’t want instant growth through their marketing efforts?

As graphic designers and brand marketers we combine our love of the visual with the experiential and psychological aspects of a brand. As much excitement as a new logo or website design can instill, the often time consuming press releases, consumer research,  blog submissions, and database development required to build a strong foundation for awareness of the brand is like watching a seed take root in the dark. This phase is boring to customers who are only interested in seeing increased sales results.

Sometimes, to our horror, while we are developing roots and studying patterns, some clients will ask us to dig up the seed, maybe try new soil, or plant an entirely new seed to see if it will grow faster. This of course only results in losing ground and burning more daylight. Some marketing companies actually shovel in more fertilizer which appears to increase the yield faster but it doesn’t reap the sweet fruit that buyers return to again and again and tell all their family and friends about.

So for those customers who haven’t allowed time to prepare the soil before seeding and  still expect a bountiful harvest in the first season, the most practical solution I can think of is finding these magic marketing beans. We could celebrate Thanksgiving everyday and bask in the cornucopia of satisfied customers. My bet is though that these magic marketing beans other marketing firms are pushing are loss leaders for them and their top sales product is really the bull fertilizer that’s packaged with them.

Stay connected,

www.connectiongraphics.com

Brianna Flowers, Tony Sweet and Jill Marlin featured in Grand Ledge/Waverly Mi Sports Page Magazine

The inaugural Mi Sports Page Magazine, covering Grand Ledge and Waverly is now available on the newsstand in multiple community locations.

The first edition includes stories on former Grand Ledge athlete Jill Marlan, who has used the discipline she learned and benefitted from as an athlete to cultivate a successful educational and professional career; former Grand Ledge basketball coach Tony Sweet who has now taken his  basketball knowledge and passion to Brighton where he coached the Bulldogs’ boys team  to a Kensington Lake Athletic Association championship in his first year; and the steady, calming influence Brianna Flowers had on the Waverly girls track program during her four year years.

As an area leader in website design, print and corporate communications, Connection Graphics, is proud to introduce the first Mi Sports Page Magazine. Our goal to support local businesses and communities with highlights and feature stories of local athletes and high school athletic programs.

Please visit misportspage.com for more information.

Thad Kraus (517)645-4387

email: thad@connectiongraphics.com
(more…)

The Lansing Economic Area Partnership (Leap, Inc.) has combined with Great Lakes Entrepreneurial Quest  (GLEQ) to bring aspiring  entrepreneurs two days of inspring presentations, Angel funding session, points on securing government contracts, tips on marketing, notes on protecting intellectual property and many more critical topics of value to entrepreneurs.

On Thursday, June 9, enjoy a day of presentations and breakout sessions and virtual tours of Michigan’s business incubators and the GLEQ Business Plan Competition Awards Banquet that evening. On Friday, you’ll have the option of participating in numerous networking and educational activities and exploring the displays in the exhibit hall (please stop by Connection Graphics table and let us know you read this post to receive a special gift!).

The agenda on both days encourages meeting and learning from other entrepreneurs, investors, business professionals and resource experts. Contact LEAP to secure small conference rooms that are available at no additional cost on a first-come, first-served basis for small meetings and private conversations. Visit Entrepreneur Connect to read more about the session available and reserve your place. Participate in the events and activities as best fits your schedule and interests.

I hope to see you there and look forward to this great opportunity to meet and support business in Michigan. Even though Connection Graphics opened our doors over 14 years ago, business continues to evolve because we keep learning. If all we offered were the graphic design services for print marketing that was our base  in 1997 we could not have sustained the business. Because we paid attention to trends and consulted experts, we have continually expanded our product offerings to meet the market. Internet marketing, website design and consulting quickly became a larger segment of client sales, even in those early days.

The ability to learn and excel is a critical component to business success. Because we have stayed in touch with customer needs and honed our skills, Connection Graphics has become recognized as a brand marketing resource. When our customers need to engage in social media we develop social media strategies for them, custom designed Facebook fan pages, landing pages, and custom website design and development as part of the marketing services mix. We don’t know what the future will bring, but we will be one of the first to learn about it as we continue to attend great events such as Entrepreneur Connect.

Entrepreneur Connect will be held at the Henry Center in Lansing, Michigan.   Take a look at these breakout sessions and register to attend!

As Miche Suboski shared, “Summer is usually a sleepy time for business, but not for Entrepreneurs!  At least the one’s that are out making stuff happen….Entrepreneur Connect has many… excellent opportunities (all in one event!) for you to get out there and continue to build your brand or make connections that will help you take the next step with your venture.”

‘When you were a kid, could you, your teachers, or your parents imagine your current job? … ‘

My job has changed profoundly over my  20+ years in graphic design. Even the education options adapted over time as studying graphic design has been diminished to something as simple as an online graphic design course. In addition, new industries and jobs have developed. New industries and jobs have developed that didn’t exist in the field when I chose graphic design as my career. In art school we had to sketch out concepts and handwrite text. My first real graphic designer job, I had to determine character count by hand then spec it for a typesetter – heaven forbid if there was a change in the copy after this step. Now, as owner of a graphic design and marketing firm specializing in brand marketing and website design, the occupation I enjoy as a graphic designer is a far cry from the description from the Kendall College of Art Design catalog back then.

Is your job title one that was included in a compiled Occupation List from Middle School? Is the title the same with vastly different tasks and techniques? Or has the original job you started fresh out of school been eliminated and you have reinvented yourself along the way?

While considering the industries I have been fortunate to work with through Connection Graphics, brick and mortar retail, real estate brokerages, marketing firms, I have seen and felt the tremendous changes each has implemented to continually evolve to meet todays business climate. How much has your ‘occupation type’ changed since you started your career path? I would love to hear where you started and where you are now, how vastly your tasks have changed since you entered the job market and set your career path.

As we understand how much business and occupations change over the years how can we be proactive and inspire children to pursue nontraditional jobs or careers in new fields? This consideration is developed further in the linked article: How Do We Prepare Kids for Jobs We Can’t Imagine Yet? Teach Imagination ..

Stay connected!

CHARLOTTE, MI, May 6, 2011- Eaton County United Way (ECUW) invites all to attend a free preview of Financial Peace University on Tuesday, May 10th at 5:30pm. The presentation, and the classes, will be held at Eaton County United Way, 350 Lansing Street, Charlotte. For more information or to reserve your spot, please call Loretta Williams at 517-543-5402.

In Financial Peace University, the average family eliminates $5,300 in debt while saving $2,700! Materials are produced by the renowned Dave Ramsey. During this life-changing class, learn to: Get Control of Your Money, Stop Struggling to Make Ends Meet & Tell Your Money What to Do.

Promoting financial stability and independence is a pillar of United Way, along with education and health. Eaton County United Way (ECUW) is a non-profit organization that serves Charlotte, Eaton Rapids, Olivet, Bellevue, Vermontville, Potterville & Dimondale. Visit their website at www.ECUW.org or connect on Facebook.

For questions contact:

Suzanne Hayes, Resource Development Associate

517.543.5402 work phone

517.944.1123 cell phone

suzanne@ecuw.org