Please visit Island Graphics’ BIZNIK page at: http://biznik.com/join/david-sparks

Everyone’s linking in these days. But is anyone really connecting?

If you’re someone who thinks about business networking in terms of community rather than tool, Biznik is for you. Biznik combines the best of social networking with the best of real-world connection in a way that helps you:

* Get Real - Members meet online AND face-to-face at member-hosted events.
* Get Noticed - 93 percent of Biznik’s top members rank on page 1 of Google for their name or keywords.
* Get Published - build your professional reputation.
* Get Business - meet your next client or business partner.
* Get Current - keep up with the latest trends in business at member-hosted workshops and seminars.

Biznik is a business community for independent business people who are passionate about what they do and want to be part of a community of like-minded folks interested in seeing each other succeed.

–David

It’s probably been a dog’s age since you even thought about floppy disks — let alone had a drive on your computer that could support one — but floppies are actually still popular in India and Japan. Sony is the last manufacturer of 3.5-inch floppy disks, and while the company sold more than 12 million of them in 2009, Sony has just announced it will stop making floppies as of March 2011.

“Due to dwindling demand, Sony discontinued European production of 3.5-inch floppy disks in September 2009. The last European sale of a floppy disk took place in March 2010,” a Sony spokesperson said.

Although these disks have already drifted into the realm of hipster-fueled, retro-ironic nostalgia (see also: SNES cartridges), we have a lingering love for the floppy. It’s a symbol of a simpler time — a time before cloud storage and Google Docs made it impossible to wedge a corrupted disk under your professor’s door at 5 a.m. only to claim that the paper had been on the disk the night before, a time when it took nine disks or so to get an OS onto your hard drive, a time when 1.4 MB actually meant something. We invite you to browse our Floppy Retrospective Flickr gallery, where we trace the evolution of the floppy from Bill Gates’s best friend to dumpster fodder to dearly loved — but seldom used — archaic trinket.

A QR Code is a matrix code (or two-dimensional bar code) created by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994. The “QR” is derived from “Quick Response”, as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed.

QR Codes are common in Japan, where they are currently the most popular type of two dimensional codes. Moreover, most current Japanese mobile phones can read this code with their camera.

Although initially used for tracking parts in vehicle manufacturing, QR Codes are now used in a much broader context, including both commercial tracking applications and convenience-oriented applications aimed at mobile phone users (known as mobile tagging).

QR Codes storing addresses and URLs may appear in magazines, on signs, buses, business cards or just about any object that users might need information about. Users with a camera phoneequipped with the correct reader software can scan the image of the QR Code causing the phone’s browser to launch and redirect to the programmed URL. This act of linking from physical world objects is known as a hardlink or physical world hyperlinks. Google’s mobile Android(OS) supports the use of QR codes by natively including the barcode scanner (ZXing) on some models and the browser supports URI redirection which allows QR Codes to send meta-data to existing applications on the device.

Users can also generate and print their own QR Code for others to scan and use by visiting one of several free QR Code generating sites.

What should a business expect to pay for quality logo design? Why do some designers charge different rates for different uses?”

FIRST OF ALL, WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

There are a couple of online logo design services that offer logos at under $100. When you find one, hit the “Back” button.

You get what you pay for, and logos are no exception.

Of course, it depends on what your needs are. If you can find a pre-designed logo that you like for under $100, good for you. Just make sure that the logo company is willing to make alterations to the logo without charging extra for each round of revisions. Also make sure that the logo company you deal with does not resell logos.

LOGO PRICE RANGES

Pre-Designed Logos

Pre-designed logos are logos that are created beforehand. Typically these readymade logos are listed on the design firm’s web site and sold on a first-come-first-serve basis.

There is nothing wrong with pre-designed logos, provided that they are unique and that each logo is only sold once.

Price Range: $100 to $300

Custom Logos

With custom logos, an important consideration is the number of unique concept designs that the designer is willing to create. The higher the number of concept designs, the higher the price. Usually.

Price Range: $400 to $550

Cartoon Logos and Mascot Logos

Cartoon logos and mascot logos are generally far more time-consuming to create that regular custom logos and therefor they are more expensive. The critical thing here is to find a cartoonist, not a logo designer. Most logo designers offer cartoon logo design, but only a handful of them actually employ a professional cartoonist.

Price Range: $800 to $4,000

Logo Repair and Logo Redesign

If you already have a logo and just need it cleaned up and/or improved, you can potentially save a lot of money.

Price range: $50 to $250

HOPE THAT HELPS, Aaron and whomever else is reading this. As far as who owns the work, that’s a bit stickier. Technically and legally the designer owns the copyright to the material until it is released BY the designer to the client. Some charge, some don’t, there is really no set practice. This is why a good relationship with your designer should ALWAYS be important. For the same reason that you should NEVER PISS OFF THE BARTENDER! Cheers, All!

TRY REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY!

To think that you can “Think ahead” for every potential client that comes along is not only a recipe for disaster, but is also, at the very least, impossible. Trying being who you are as a business and not saying anything. Put ALL of your efforts toward making sure that when potential new clients approach you that you are damn prepared to be exactly who they have been looking for.

I just discovered REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY MARKETING, by Indrajit Sinha and Thomas Foscht. Here are some excerpts from the book. What an amazing modern philosophy:

DISCLAIMER- This book is not about engaging in the blame-and-praise game for the so-called winners and losers of the current business environment.

‘Don’t run after customers, let them discover you instead…’

In keeping with the spirit of this book, the authors have not sought outside endorsements.

1- Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
Remember when Facebook was just one of many niche communities popping up and competing for our attention? Sometime in 2010, Facebook will surpass 400 million registered users worldwide, though the notion of “Facebook fatigue” is being circulated (probably wishful thinking by some of their competitors). Yet there are still plenty of social networking sites and communities that cater to more focused targets that we, as marketers, cannot ignore. YOU NEED TO BE OUT THERE (NET)WORKING!

2- Be a Better Listener
Sometimes talking less and listening more can provide greater value to an overall marketing strategy. Whether you engage them or not, customers and potential customers are talking about your brand and products in online communities.

Understanding what they are saying and where will help you to make a more informed decision about how to interact. Involve community members in your process, be willing to put some control in their hands and listen to the feedback from your “virtual focus group.”

3- Think Global. Act Local.
Social communities dominated our computer screens in 2009. But 2010 could be the year that both new and existing technologies will take over our smartphone and PDA screens. Just a year ago, only a handful of early adopters were talking about the potential of Twitter as a marketing tool. Now look where we are!

4- Do Good for Your Fellow Man
As you plan for 2010, keeping your bottom line in mind is obviously important. But what if you can meet your objectives AND do some good in the community at the same time? Many companies and brands already have existing philanthropic programs, but tying it to social and partnering with your customers can amplify and maximize the measurable impact of your contribution. Step out.

5- Get Back to the Gym
Okay, so this one has nothing really to do with marketing, but if your holiday was anything like ours, the cookies, candy and other sweet treats were always around and, well, you’re a little rounder as a result. Next year, please just send virtual cookies and help us cut back on the calories.

Honorable Mention(s)- Lighten the Hell Up!!! and Be More Supportive of Others
‘Nuff said?

Good luck with these… and of course, if you have any trouble adhering to our resolutions, feel free to give us a call. Happy and healthy New Year to all!