By Andrea Norman on Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Small business owners are too busy bringing in work, managing business and balancing the books to worry about consistent application of their branding and graphic presence. 

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By Andrea Norman on Monday, March 01, 2010

The direction of your business, your ideal clients, your messaging, and your graphic design all begin with you.  You must decide these critical aspects of your business or they will be determined by default.  Because the small decisions that are made every day by each employee, vendor, client or prospective client add up to an overall feeling and impression.  If you don't guide the process, THAT becomes your brand.

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By Andrea Norman on Saturday, February 27, 2010

Because we respond to government proposals (like RFPs and RFQs) I am often asked about how to acquire government business. The simple answer is:  it requires a marketing strategy just like any market sector.  However, it also requires some special marketing knowledge and sensitivity to the way government procurement is accomplished.  

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By Andrea Norman on Sunday, February 14, 2010

This weekend I discovered that several "premium" brands in clothing and food products were recently discontinued.  The same "high end" stores had new merchandise that was cheaper and much lower quality than anything I had seen there previously.

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By Andrea Norman on Thursday, February 11, 2010

In case you have any concerns, YOU CAN DO IT!  Whatever it is you want, develop a vision, create a plan, and execute it with confidence.  Go for it!

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By Andrea Norman on Sunday, January 31, 2010

Whether it's architecture, construction, music or law, the survivors in this economy are ones that have a well-defined niche.

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By Andrea Norman on Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Resolutions are ...well...typically forgotten or made to be broken, so, instead, let's call this year's list the five Marketing IDEAS to try in 2010.

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By Andrea Norman on Sunday, January 03, 2010

and my daughter thinks it's lame.  "Mom, you're old.  You CAN'T like Lady Gaga," she declared.

I DO like Lady Gaga and it's partially because of the parallels to my beliefs about marketing.

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By Andrea Norman on Wednesday, December 23, 2009

2009 was a challenging year for most businesses.  While we were challenged, it wasn't by the economy, as much as it was learning the lessons associated with owning a business and interacting with a whole host of challenges and situations that come with owning a business, especially in a challenging economy.  So, here is the "top 10" list of lessons learned in 2009.

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By Andrea Norman on Tuesday, December 15, 2009

After nearly two years of owning a marketing firm / advertising agency, I have written a "guide" for small businesses or individuals that are considering hiring an advertising agency.  The guide specifies what a business can count on from a marketing firm and what the marketing firm or advertising agency needs its clients to know.

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