Moved from Blogspot to WordPress

I’m excited to start blogging on WordPress. For now I decided to include my art blog posts to my main blog.

My new company name, at last!

Hard to believe that this is only my second post of the year for my blog. It was definitely not for the lack of something to say. Indeed it has been an extremely busy few months. After the 2010 Winter Olympics, my business activities started picking up. I finished a peer mentoring program and it overlapped a bit with a 2-week intensive business development program! In the process I met some wonderful people and got to know a few of them in the 10 days we were together. I believe that things happen for a reason. This program helped me think through my business. As a result, I applied for and got accepted at a self-employment program which started in September. It also helped that my entrepreneurial spirit showed. After a few weeks of workshop, I’m now in the process of writing my business plan and will be presenting it to a panel of advisors later this month. One of the items I struggled with was coming up with my company name. As a designer, I knew I could get away with naming my company with my name and simply adding the word “design”. I wanted something more. Something that can grow. Allow me to present my new company name …. Third Leaf Designs, visual designs that work for you!

More new things coming up in the next few weeks! This coming new year 2011 will be exciting!

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The Reluctant Entrepreneur No More!

It will be almost 2 years since I officially started as a freelance graphic designer. I have been doing it on a part-time basis and have mostly relied on word of mouth for getting projects. Now that my daughter is in full time preschool I have more time to build my business. I have been keeping myself busy with other creative pursuits like creating and selling my original art pendants, creating digital painting, and art shows. It is now time to jump in with both feet and full steam ahead! While my beloved city of Vancouver was ramping up for the 2010 Olympics opening ceremony, I have been part of mentoring group specifically for women who have been in business for less than 2 years. We have a dynamic group facilitated by a dedicated and well-connected facilitator. It is inspiring and encouraging to be part of this group knowing that you are not alone. I realize that I can’t just work IN the business (as creative like me like to do) but more importantly work ON the business, and working on ME. I am also excited to be taking a course for marketing my creative services starting next week!

Being good at what you do and being good in business are mutually exclusive, talent is not enough! As in any creative pursuit, half of your time will be spend in marketing. Learn it, read about it, do it.

A few things you can to to jump start your business or business idea:

1. Get out there and meet people (networking)
2. Practice your 10 second introduction (what do you do?)
3. Ask for help (advisory board, mentor group, get a life/business coach)
4. Dream big (commit it in writing as it makes it more concrete)
5. Enjoy the process, you will get there. Don’t lose sight of WHY you’re doing it in the first place.