Christmas has been and the New Year has just begun, now is the time to reflect, plan and get motivated for the rest of 2018. You would do well to quickly re-read my previous blog ‘Part1' before launching into the all important ‘Part 2’. This way you’ll make the most of the excellent business advice, encouragement and strategies as you prepare to have a successful and rewarding 2018.

Strategy:
“Sound strategy starts with having the right goal” – Michael Porter

We have our goals now we can form our strategy. To often its tempting to just jump into the fray and start figuring out how to “do” the nitty gritty stuff. Working “in the business” is the term that gets thrown around, you’ve probably heard it before. Strategy is the working “on” the business part.
We need to work out what actions we’re going to take now which will set us up for success when it comes to realising our goals.

For example, maybe our goal is to increase our earnings before interest and tax (that holy grail of ever increasing EBIT). Are we going to do that by selling more widgets? If so where are we going to get the widgets from? Do we make them ourselves or do we need to source them from somewhere else? Can we extend our supplier terms and improve our use of money? Can we figure out ways to get paid faster and improve the velocity of money flowing into the business? Can we make our operating expenses more efficient and sell the same widgets more profitably? Are there new markets that we can enter or new opportunities that we can take advantage of?

Maybe our goal is to increase gross revenue and sell more of our product or service. How do we going about doing this? What’s the best way to market ourselves in order to increase sales? There’s an often used quote that gets drummed into every marketing student and repeated through the corporate world:

“In marketing I’ve seen only one strategy that can’t miss. That is to market to your best customers first, your best prospects second and the rest of the world last” – John Romero.

This is a proven strategy which universally applies to all business. If our goal is increased sales then this well tested strategy is one that’s well worth borrowing.

Tactics:
“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat” – Sun Tzu
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We have our goals. We have our strategy. Now we need to figure out how to implement our strategy. This is the tactics, this is where we are specific about the actions that we will take to ensure that our strategy is successful. This is where we not only plan on which clients to market to, but how we will market to them and when. In planning out our strategy we may have decided that running specific campaigns has been a success in the past and something that we’ll do again in new year. What we need to do now is be intentional and specific about:

• What the campaign or campaigns will be.
• When they will be rolled out.
• What will be the measure of success.

If it’s a new widget that we’re going to promote then the same questions apply. If it’s a new service then again we need to be specific and intentional about how we will launch the service what the measures of success look like.

Take the time over the next couple of weeks to reflect, plan and set yourself up for a successful, happy and fulfilling 2018.

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I’ll spend the first four sharpening the axe” – Abraham Lincoln''

Get in touch with us today to discuss solutions for presenting your campaign. We have a number of branding packages and graphic design services we would love to work with you on. We look forward to working with you this year.

Step One - Learn from the past:

“What’s past is prologue” – William Shakespeare 

A whole year has come and gone, and with it lessons, some no doubt hard learnt. We want to take a moment to reflect on what we’ve done right over the year that’s been, but also what we’ve done wrong. Here are some questions to ask yourself of your business:

• What did you try that worked well? Try and come up with three specific things.
• What did you do this year that didn’t work? Again try and come up with three things.
• What did you enjoy the most? Make a list, the longer the better, this is the stuff that you probably did the most of.
• What did you enjoy the least? Hopefully this list is short! Have a look at this list and see what is important and needs to be done and what isn’t. You spend a lot of time and energy on your business; let's try and make it as enjoyable as possible!
• Does the public image of your business, as seen in its logos and branding, accurately reflect what you do in the market? In a world full of noise do you stand out from the crowd?

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Step Two - What do you want the new year to hold? Define your goals:

“Our goal can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success” – Pablo Picasso 

We need a plan, yes indeed, but first we need some goals. These goals can be broad, as we’ll get plenty specific shortly, but first of all we need to set up some goal posts and generally outline the field. Our goals may look something like:

• Be the top read blog site in New Zealand.
• To promote natural products as a viable alternative to chemical cleaners.
• To highlight the impact of homelessness in my community.

Whatever the goal is, it will be specific to you and will be constant touchstone that you can go back to. Almost like a mission statement although goals can change whereas a mission statement sets out the overall purpose and tends to be more consistent year on year. 

Do any of your goals include having professional graphic design work done to make an impact and increase sales? Get in touch with us TODAY about getting started on introducing bright, new, attractive branding and a crisp, clear, unique logo that presents your business positively to everyone. ​

Finally summer is underway. One last burst of effort, both in business and in family life and then the entire country takes a deep breath and pauses … ahhh … here at One Bite Graphic Design headquarters, we can hardly wait.
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A new year is knocking on the door, in 2-3 short weeks people from all walks of life all around the world will, at the very least, give some passing thought the year that’s been and to the year that’s coming. Some people out there will make lists of things to achieve, habits to form (or change) wrongs to right and people to meet. Resolutions will be made and when you take the time to write these down you are far more likely to stick to them. This applies to your business, perhaps even more, than it applies to your own life. 

​This time of year is the perfect time to reflect and make sure that the “look and feel” of your business as it's presented to the public, matches with the direction that you want to take and the plans that you now have. It’s important that your branding shows a true representation of you and your business.

We have found that people who are proud of their branding have so much more confidence in not only their business but in themselves than those who do not have design work done by a professional. You can read about Sharon’s success here. 

Right, let’s get some insight in to how you feel about your brand with some questions:

1. Are you happy with your logo?
2. Does your branding reflect you and your business?
3. Does your graphic design advertising attract the right clients?
4. Are you being consistent with your visual marketing across your social media?
5. What graphic design jobs do you have that you could outsource to a professional?
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​Once you have considered and thought about the above questions, get in touch with us. ​ In today’s hectic online world, it is all too easy for businesses to stay under the radar. Showing a consistent image of your brand with a professionally designed logo for your marketing and website, ensures your business gets noticed and remembered. Let us create branding for your business which is easily recognisable as yours and one which resonates with your customers. With over 20yrs experience in the graphic design industry and hundreds of satisfied clients, your business is in great hands.

Is it beginning to feel a lot Christmas at your house? 

Is the weather warming up and are Christmas products and Christmas music filling your local shops?  Maybe it’s not in full swing yet, but now is a great time to plan ahead so that at least your valued client base hear from you as you add your personal touch to your business relationship.
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Christmas is an amazing time where you can tell people that you are thinking of them, that you are grateful for them and that you wish them a happy and safe holiday season. I have a great offer which I will tell you about later on in this blog, but for now lets talk about the importance of ongoing client relationships.

The Benefits of Valuing Your Business Clients & Colleagues 
As a small business owner I know how valuable my clients and colleagues are to the success of my business and to the process of moving forward. I would not be where I am today in my business and personally without the amazing people in my life including clients and colleagues. Owning your own business is not for the faint hearted and support is crucial, so it is equally important to support and encourage those who stand by you. 

There are many ways to do this. Let’s take a look at a few ways you can foster these relationships and I’ve added one special, meaningful thing you can do as we approach the holiday season. Read on….

Connecting Personally when making a Phone call or Email: 
Be personable and friendly in your contact. It takes no extra effort to ask how someone is, if they had a good weekend, what their plans / hopes are for their business futures. Make a brief note if relevant information is given. For example if they respond “Had a great weekend thanks, went fishing and caught plenty.’ Next time there’s contact ask if they’ve been fishing again. This demonstrates personal interest and your recall of the conversation. 

Maintain the Connection even when there is no ongoing business happening:
Check in on your clients briefly, but again in a friendly and personable way. “Is there anything I can help you with?” “Thought of you as I launching this new product and I feel it would really benefit your business. Have you got a few moments to hear about it?” This reinforces a 'caring connection' which follows through into helping them achieve their business aspirations by their connection to you and your business.

Follow your clients on social media:
We all know how great it is to get a reaction and/or comment on our social media posts so why not do that for your clients. For example follow them on Facebook and interact with what is going on in their business, such a quick simple thing to do but could mean a lot for a small business. Make sure that when people respond to something of yours on social media that you reply to it. It is not only polite but it also puts your business name and brand in front of them again.

Randomly send cards and/or gifts:
I love receiving things in the mail or by courier do you? How about sending something special to those that you do business with and for? You could even go a step further and purchase gifts to send from other small businesses. How impacting it is when your gifts are branded in your colours, with your website and logo?

Now let’s talk about this offer I have for you!
​I am getting all organised and sorted for Christmas and I can help you get ready too! One Bite Graphic Design has a range of Christmas card designs pre-formatted for Vista Print. I will include your unique business logo, brand colours and website to enable you to not only thank your clients and impress your prospects, but also ensure that your brand remains top of their mind during this busy season. Vista print has a 50% off greeting cards at the moment! Get your personalised branded holiday cards ordered NOW in time for Christmas!  

Remember that a personal, friendly connection is always appreciated. There’s an old saying “A smile is a curve that puts a lot of things straight!’ so send a smile to your clients this Christmas season.
 
Email helen@onebitedesign.co.nz and view the card options at www.onebitedesign.co.nz NOW!

​Are you overwhelmed by the graphic design terms you see around? Trying to get a file ready for print but don’t know what is required? What is a ‘print safe zone’ or ‘bleed’? For this months One Bite Graphic Design blog I thought I would take the time to clarify a few commonly used graphic design terms and explain them for you. Buckle in… I hope you find this helpful!

​5 Commonly Used Graphic Design Terms Explained:

1. CMYK, RGB & Pantone Colours:
   CMYK: This stands for cyan, magenta, yellow, and key, or black. This colour type is traditionally and commonly used for print. Different percentages of the 4 colours are used they make up many colour variations and shades.
   RGB: This stands for red, green, and blue. This colour type offers a wider spectrum of colour and commonly allows brighter more vibrant colours in comparison to CMYK. The colours you view on your screen are in RGB so you must make sure you change your colours to CMYK and view them CMYK before you go to print as some colours do not convert well from RGB to CMYK
   Spot color: Spot colours or Pantone colours are colours that are created with a specifically made ink. It allows for colours and vibrancy that may otherwise not be able to be made via CMYK. This includes but isn’t limited to metallic and fluorescent colours. 
2. File Formats: These are some of the common file formats used by Graphic Designers.
   EPS: ‘Encapsulated Postscript’. This is a vector file, its images can be easily resized which is great for printed designs.
   GIF: ‘Graphics Interchange Format’. This file type is commonly used for sending images online. They are compressed files and tend to be small in file size and quality. They can also be animated files used to form a short looping video. You may have seen my Facebook posts that say ‘use the GIF comment option’. They can be great fun!
   JPEG: ‘Joint Photographic Experts Group’. JPEGs do not allow transparent backgrounds like PNG’s do – explained in the next point. JPEGs cannot be animated like GIF’s. With JPEG files you can control the level of compression and it is a file format that is compatible with most applications. 
   
PNG: ‘Portable Network Graphics’. This is one of the most popular file types for the internet. The thing I like about PNG files is that they offer transparency, this is ideal for logos. 
   TIFF: ‘Tagged Image File Format’. This file format is great for storing photographs and other large images. It can compress the image while maintaining its quality. It is the perfect format for printing photos.


3. Crop Marks: These are small lines placed on the outer the edge of the finished graphic that show where to cut or trim the final graphic to the finished size. When the printed items are trimmed these lines do not appear on the finished item. 


4. Bleed: This is the term that is used for printing that goes beyond the edge of where the graphic will be trimmed. This gives the printer a small amount of space (between 1.5-5mm) to account for movement of the paper or card when stacked up to be trimmed. Any background colours or images that are being used on a printed document will need a bleed area. 
5. Print Safe Zone: This is an area inside the trim line that is used to help make sure that any movement when trimming doesn’t affect your graphic. Within this zone you should position all your information and images. Any content outside of this area is in risk of being cut off.
   
   

OK so that takes us to the end of 5 Graphic Design terms that you can now use with the confidence of knowing that both you and your graphic designer are speaking the same lingo. Like any technical field there are so many more terms out there that it really can feel like a new language. Happily it’s a language that I’ve spent 20 years learning to understand and working with clients to take their concepts, translate them into graphics and presenting them in a form that is pleasing to the client and technically perfect for the printer or programmer. Do you have a design challenge that I can help with? Drop me a note, I’d love to put my experience to work for you.

I bet, just like me, your Facebook feed is full of visual marketing designs which all look the same. The same font, colours, images and even words. It’s incredibly boring and off putting to look at the same graphic designs again and again. So rather than copying what has worked for others, it’s time to make people stop and notice your business through awesome visual marketing designs!

Using Unique Visual Marketing to Get Your Business Noticed
As a graphic designer, it makes sense that I notice the logos, colours, fonts and images owners use to brand their business. Of course, everyone else notices them too. But there is one big difference: I don’t copy them. I can understand why owners think, “Hey, I like this logo, this colour and these images. Come to think of it, I love the design they used too. I think I’ll use them for my business.” The problem is, if they are not 100% unique, your business ends up looking like someone else’s. That’s incredibly bad for your business branding. Not only do people confuse your business with another, they can also become bored with seeing the same thing. This leads to a quick scroll onto the next image and the next business!

The key to getting your business’ visual marketing noticed is to be 100% unique when it comes to design. This just isn’t possible when using in the box predesigned graphic design templates. You may have changed the colours, tweaked the font and used a different image, but if the design is the same, it’s an automatic fail in my book. I’m never going to remember it as being unique to your business and most probably see you as being a copycat.

Visual content is processed by our brains 60,000 times faster than words.
Having unique professionally designed visual content to market your business helps you:

• Get more engagement from those who matter, in some case 120% -180% more!
• Get more social sharing. People like creative and new ways of looking at something and are more likely to stop, read and share your content
• Be remembered. 65% of visual information is remembered, compared with 10% when hearing it
• Build trust. Trust is one of the most valuable assets a business can have. Strong, unique visual images help build trust with your followers, leading to more sales and more attention
  
  

Now is the time to organise your visual branding using professionally designed Social Media Templates. I can create for you 100% unique, attention grabbing and highly sharable templates for your business. Head over to book your spot now and start enjoying getting noticed by those who matter!

We’ve all been there. Found a beautiful image that inspires us, and with the internet it is even easier to find just the right image for our business…
 
But when is it okay to use such an image?
 
Sometimes it easy to tell as the owner clearly watermarks the image with a copyright warning or sets out clear conditions of use. However, even if there is no such warning, there may be a number of risks in using someone else’s image.
 
1.  Copyright
Copyright will automatically exist in any original artistic work. The word “original” means that the artistic work in question is the result of the person’s own independent labour, skill and judgement - any parts of the work that are copied from somewhere else will not be protected by copyright.  The term “artistic work” includes sketches, photographs and drawings. Although it is always wise for the owner of a copyright work to include a copyright warning (for example “© Rachel Triplow 2017”), copyright will exist even without such a warning. In light of the Berne Convention, the owner of copyright will have rights in most countries. For example, an Australian can claim rights under the New Zealand Copyright Act if their copyright work is infringed here.
 
It is also important to note that changing something by x% will not avoid copyright infringement - it’s not how much you change, it’s whether you have copied a substantial part of the core of someone else’s work. Size definitely doesn't matter with copyright.
 
2.  Trade Marks
Another possibility is that the owner of the image has trade mark rights.  Even if a work is not “original” and therefore is not protected by copyright, it may be possible for the owner to claim that the image has become distinctive of their goods or services, or that they simply have a trade mark registration. As with copyright, it is wise for the owner of a trade mark to include a warning (for example the ® symbol if the mark is registered and/or the ™ symbol which can be used at any time), but trade mark rights may exist even without such a warning.
 
Unlike copyright, trade mark rights are territorial and will depend on a trade mark registration in the relevant country and/or sufficient reputation that consumers would be confused if someone else started using the same or similar mark.
 
SO, WHAT DO YOU DO?
 
Check out the Creative Commons search engine at https://search.creativecommons.org/, which lists all the places where you can find images that are available to use commercially. Or if there is one image you really really want, approach the owner and ask for their consent before you start using it. 
 
Definitely do NOT go to your graphic designer and ask them to tweak someone else’s image for you, as this they could not would not should not do….

Written by Rachel Triplow  |  www.arcip.co.nz

Would you hire a chef to lay your carpet? How about a plumber to install your oven? No, of course you wouldn’t, you’d hire the right professional to do the job for you. When it comes to your businesses graphic design work, the best person is a professional graphic designer, like me. That means, forget doing it yourself!

Problems with DIY Graphic Design
I will say that sometimes (and only sometimes) when a business owner does some DIY graphic design, they create a graphic which looks fine. The clear majority though, create a design which not only looks unprofessional, but can quickly send their customers running in the other direction. Why? Because graphic design represents your business visually. It is often the first thing people see when visiting your website or picking up your flyer. If it looks bad or the same as what everyone else is using, your clients will automatically assume your business is just as bad as your design work and that you don’t take pride in advertising your business.

5 Reasons Why You Must Hire a Graphic Designer
I love my vacuum cleaner. Silly thing to say, but it picks up the dog hair from my puppy Max so well and leaves my floors dust and pet hair free. I tried using my kettle one time, but it just wasn’t the same …. Okay, so that’s not true, but it is kind of the same thinking people have when using online design software. They have a great idea, but can’t get it to work properly. Unsure about the right fonts, colours and styles to use, they end up with a mashed-up collection of bad graphics. Or they can see how to do it but the end result is something that a lot of other people are using for their design work, meaning people scroll past because they have ‘seen it’ before.

There are plenty of benefits to hiring a professional graphic designer. You not only get access to their design tools, but also to their experience, training, knowledge and understanding about creating graphics which give the right impression and are true to you and your business. Still need convincing? Here are five reasons why graphic designers do it better:

• Looks professional
• Conveys your message or/and brand accurately and consistently
• Saves you time and money
• Gains you customers
• Gets you noticed
  
  

A professional image always wins over a poorly created one. A professional graphic designer will nail that essential professional image for you. They will also ensure your brand is consistent, which is so important to building client loyalty. Graphic design represents your brand visually … many of the DIY designs that I see appear to be clearly that, DIY. Is this how you want your business portrayed? If people view an inconsistent brand and design layout then they will often infer the same about the business generally.

Being a business owner, things that take you away from your core business of selling your products or services, cost you both time and money. A graphic designer can create you a masterpiece in a fraction of the time, saving you a lot of cash and hassle. Finally, we know what looks great and what doesn’t. Our work gets you noticed and remembered by your target market and that is fabulous ongoing advertising.

If you’d like to know more about how I can help you with your graphic design needs, check out my portfolio. Or if you are ready to book your spot, send me a message today!  

​Like them or not, words are an essential part of every business website. After all, they are as equally important as your visual brand. Unfortunately, many business owners value how their brand looks visually as being more of a priority and their words end up taking a back seat. So today, we’re going to look at how you can use words to compliment your visual brand and create an awesome branding strategy.

​Words and Graphics – We Go Together
Words. More words. Unexciting and as boring as they may seem, the words your business uses will either make or break you. Choosing the right words to match your visual brand is important to demonstrate consistency and help build a rapport with your target audience.
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There is no denying it. Our world makes instant decisions about your business based on how it looks. Often this is in the form of instant reactions to your logo, colour choices, font and business name. That’s why it’s important to hire a graphic designer like Helen to create you a top notch visual brand right from the start. But what many fail to remember, is that after making a decision about the way your business looks visually, customers and clients look next to your words to see if they want to do business with you.

How to Brand with Words
Everyone instantly recognises the visual brands of businesses such as McDonalds and Pak n Save because of their logos and colours. But even these businesses know that in our digital world, their visual brand is not enough to hook in and engage their customers. That’s why they use a combination of words and graphics to create a thorough branding strategy.

You can brand your business with words by:

• Creating a style guide for your written content. Just like your branding guide, think about the words, tone of language and technical jargon your business will use. What will your audience respond to and instantly recognise as being from your business?
• Crafting your story – what messages are you going to share with your audience? Are your messages going to be in paragraphs, bullet points, headings or single sentences? Stick with the same story telling technique across all of your mediums – website, social media, business cards, emails and brochures.
• Keeping it real. Research has shown that in just 90 minutes, a customer can be exposed to over 100 brands and 250 marketing messages. The words you use need reflect your brand’s personality. Consistently being real or naked is vital for your business to be remembered.

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​If you haven’t already, now is a good time to sit down and plan the type of written content you want your brand to be known for. If it mirrors your visual identity, cool. If not, chat with Helen about how she can help.

Written by Jackie Procter | www.jackieprocter.co.nz

Your logo is more than your business name. It’s your brand identity and without this, your business is likely to fall off your customer’s radar. A professionally designed logo gives your brand the credibility it needs to be successful. It’s a bit like a box of chocolates. All the pretty wrapped ones get picked first, with the dull and boring wrapped ones being left till last.  If your business doesn’t look good from the outside, no one is going to take the time to find out more about it.  If you haven’t already got a logo, check out my article Will Your Logo Help Your Business to Sink or Swim?

If you have got a logo professionally designed by a graphic designer, then read on to find out more about creating your brand identity.

What Makes a Great Visual Brand?
Your logo is an integral part of your brand. Everything revolves around it. The colours, images, shapes and content all work together to put an image in people’s mind about your business. Think of your brand as a person. Whatever you do shows people the type of person you are. Here are six ways you can make your visual brand rock:

1. Have a logo professionally designed
2. Stick with colours that are in your logo and colours that compliment your logo
3. Use consistent fonts
4. Use distinctive icons or pictures which set your business apart
5. Use a specific photographic style
6. Use your logo on everything
   
   

How Important is Your Logo Design to Your Visual Brand?
Your logo is the epicentre of your visual brand. All the decisions you make regarding the face of your business are made with your logo in mind. You need to have a graphic designer totally nail your logo for you to present an impressive visual brand. This means you need to consider:

• Minimalism – too much of a good thing is not a good idea. Keep your logo clean and clear of clutter for maximum impact.  After all, you don’t want someone to have to sit and stare at your logo to see what it is or what your business name is.
• Colours – the colours you choose will do more than just look pretty. Colours have meanings and instantly tell people about your company. For example, white and grey help to build trust, while yellow and orange are good at showing fun and energy.
• Multi-purpose – your logo is going to be used for many different things. It needs to be a design and style that can be used and altered slightly for different design and social media situations.
• Appropriateness – your business logo is your business face. It needs to be appropriate for the industry you are in, with carefully chosen symbols, fonts and colours which connect with your audience.

 
For example, I created a logo for Becky from Keen Kitchen in both a landscape and square version. This has given her the ability to use her logo in many different types of situations. As well as her logo design, I also created business cards, gift vouchers and A5 & A4 flyers for Keen Kitchen too. Becky has since had her logo put onto t-shirts and aprons for her and others to wear. 

“Helen from One Bite is an absolute dream to work with. She is friendly, fast & professional as well as being fantastic at her craft. Since starting my business just over a year ago I have used her for all design work starting with our logo. Since then she has done multiple flyers, business cards, gift vouchers and I will use her for all design work in the future. I will always, and have frequently, recommended her to friends and a lot of them have also gone to her and loved the end product she has delivered. It's almost unfathomable how fast she works. Nothing is too much trouble to tweak and she strives for perfection!” – Becky from Keen Kitchen
 
I’d love to work with you to help create an amazing visual brand for your business.
Contact me today and let’s get started!