Advicetap Blog

It’s been a while since our last blog post. We’ve been busy working on the next phase of Advicetap and today we’d like to give you a quick update.

If you haven’t already heard, Advicetap is launching a new jobsite service called FreshGigs.ca

FreshGigs.ca is a jobsite specializing in marketing jobs in Canada, as well as communication and creative jobs.

Stay tuned for more specific details over the next few weeks about the transformation and launch but for now get ready for FreshGigs!

We recently sat down with DDB Canada Creative Director Cosmo Campbell at the agency’s Vancouver office. In 2009 DDB Canada was named #1 creative agency by Strategy Magazine. The firm offers its clients services in advertising, design, digital, direct response, public relations and more.

In this interview Cosmo shares how consultants and freelancers can get an agency’s attention, what kind of professionals are most in demand, the difference between working with a small agency vs. large agency, and much more.

Video Timeline for Your Viewing Pleasure
01:16 How to get an agency’s attention
02:49 Most in demand professionals are…
04:28 The difference between working with a small agency vs. large agency
05:45 Consulting and freelancing vs. working as part of a company
07:53 Finding your groove and staying productive

Over the past few months here at Advicetap we’ve been focusing on one major business goal – connecting Canadian businesses with pre-qualified marketing and creative professionals from all across Canada.

The good news is that it’s starting to work. Not only are we now charging companies a fee to post their gigs (yep, we broke up with that girl freemium and are feeling good about it too!) but over the last few months almost 100 companies from across Canada have posted projects with Advicetap!

Yesterday we launched a new Home Page design to reflect all of this. We not only feature logos of a few of the companies that have posted gigs with us but we also feature some top gigs, and Advicetap members from across Canada…To see the changes go to Advicetap (if you’re a member you’ll need to log out to see what we’ve done)

Hey there Cecilia, thanks for dropping by the Advicetap towers…we weren’t really expecting you but now that you’re here have a sip of your coffee and give us a run down of who you are and what exactly you do?

Thanks for having me! I guess you didn’t hear me skulking around in the back— I’m a Ninja, after all! More specifically, I’m the Networking Ninja of Kiwano Marketing, a sustainable marketing agency specializing in online marketing strategies and tools to help spread the word for our awesome clients.

My passion is (stealthily) making new connections; helping companies grow their online web presence by using a combination of public relations and social media. I love starting conversations, so you can easily find me on Twitter, LinkedIn and, of course, Advicetap!

Very cool, Kiwano Marketing sounds like an interesting company for sure! So I know you have an event coming up very soon called NetSquared Camp Vancouver…give us the break down on what that’s all about?

That’s right, this very Saturday, downtown Vancouver will host the very first NetSquared Camp in all of Canada! It’s a full day, unconference-style event bringing together non-profits and social entrepreneurs with all kinds of experts in technology and communications. NetSquared Camp will focus on hands-on learning, practical skill development, and (my inevitable favourite) lots and lots of networking. (….More)

The Advicetap crew had the chance to catch up with Matt Mickiewicz and bring you this interview. Matt is the co-founder of Sitepoint.com, 99designs.com and Flippa.com – which have had more than $50 Million run through them (Flippa averages $1.5-$2 Million a month in sales!).

Matt shares how he got started in the online business world, why the idea of a work-life balance for entrepreneurs doesn’t work, and the real difference between a lifestyle business and building a company.

Here’s the interview:

Timeline of the Interview for Your Viewing Pleasure
00:14 How did you get started in the online biz world?
01:00 How did you find your business partner?
01:26 Running a profitable business while in school
01:46 How did you position Sitepoint.com in the market to be successful?
02:47 How to deal with challenges and stay motivated
03:40 Why work-life balances don’t work when you’re building a “Business”
04:20 With 3 successful companies how is your work-life balance now?
04:42 The benefits of having an online business
05:10 Lifestyle business vs. Big time company
05:58 Your plans for the next 5 years

In part 2 of our interview with Jamie Scarborough (see part 1 of the interview here) you’ll learn

What’s Inside:
00:09 One of the Biggest Obstacles to Growing Your Business
01:02 How to Figure Out The Ideal Price Point
01:48 The Follow-Up Strategy the Experts Use

We recently caught up with Jamie Scarborough, Founder of Sales Talent Agency, Canada’s top sales recruitment firm. Jamie is a true sales expert having grown Monster.com’s sales by 400% and being named Sales Person of the Year twice.

In the first part of this two part interview, Jamie shares his experience and tips with Advicetap on how to land more clients with effective sales processes, how to cold call the right way, what consultants and freelancers should consider when presenting their fees and more.

Check out the interview below…

What’s Inside:
01:01 Making the Sale is all about Drive and Empathy
02:35 The Biggest Mistake Consultants and Freelancers Make When it Comes to Sales
04:04 Think Cold-Calling is Dead? Think Again!!
05:03 How to Cold Call the Right Way
06:47 The Right Time to Present Your Pricing and Fees

Last week we were having a little chat and coffee with Janice Tomich of Calculated Presentations about business, life, Vancouver, and more.

As we came to the end of our meeting we asked Janice if we could pull out our Kodak I8 HD camera and ask her a few questions…check it out!

This week we had the pleasure of sitting down with Ryan Holmes, CEO of Hootsuite and Director at Invoke Media. We talked all about productivity, success, failure and why it’s good to walk on your hands…

Hootsuite has over 400,000 users and manages more than 1 million social media accounts. While many of us are enjoying the application without spending a penny, the company will soon start charging for premium accounts…which will likely appeal to the many large brands that use the service, including TED, Facebook, Dell, AOL and many others.

Ryan is a true entrepreneur as you’ll hear about in this interview. Check it out!

Timeline of the Interview for Your Viewing Pleasure
00:22 Who is Ryan Holmes
01:08 Making the Work-Life Balance Work
02:22 How Do You Get Your Day Started?
03:35 History of Being An Entrepreneur
05:35 Why Fun and Not Corporate for the Hootsuite Brand
06:32 Your Secret to Success
07:53 Dealing with Failure
08:57 CEO of Hootsuite Walking on His Hands?

The other day as I was enjoying a strong coffee and a sun drenched morning and I started to think on the importance of undivided attention and showing interest during meetings.

You see I’ve noticed something recently – Many people don’t show enough focus or interest in the meeting and/or the person they’re meeting with.

As a business person, consultant, teacher, and DJ I get the chance to meet and communicate with lots of people! I usually enjoy meeting up with new people but over time I’ve found that many times people are only interested in what they are doing and what they have to say.

So today I decided to write a small list of some common communication pitfalls I’ve noticed in the last few months during meetings I’ve had:

• Checking text messages or answering phone calls
  This makes sense if you’re waiting on your wife to go into labour, or a million dollar deal to come through but in general checking mails and answering phone calls during meetings is just straight up rude! (….More)

Welcome to another Episode of Advicetap TV!

Not too long ago we sat down with the founder of EAT Communications, Cinci Csere. Cinci is a Marketing and PR consultant with years of experience working with companies and organizations to help them successfully create, promote and run events as well as build brands.

In the video below, you’ll learn more about Cinci and her firm, how she’s filled up her schedule with clients, her biggest challenge as a consultant and more.

To connect with Cinci, visit her website at www.eatcomm.ca or connect with her right here in Advicetap – Visit Cinci’s Profile Page

Just a quick update on a big feature we launched this week here at Advicetap:
Gig Email Notifications

We came up with this solution after getting feedback from all of you and also realizing that members had no way of knowing when new gigs were posted (only when they logged in).

So how does this new feature work?
It’s actually pretty straight forward. Every time a new gig is posted into Advicetap our filters will match up the gig category and geographic location with relevant Advicetap members and then send them an email about the Gig.

What if I don’t want to get emails?
No problem at all. If you don’t want to get gig email notifications you can go to your “Account Settings” and turn gig notifications off.

Last week we linked up with Christina Peressini, a Vancouver brand identity designer and small business owner. We talked crowdsourcing, design in a digital era, and much more…Check it out!

Hi there Christina, thanks for stopping by the Advicetap towers! Can you start off by introducing your businesses to the readers?

Thanks for having me Sam.

As a freelance graphic designer and strategist, I have been “giving visual form to important ideas” since 2001. I’ve been working in a range of media (print, web, packaging, signage) for clients primarily in Vancouver but as far away as New York. I invite your Advicetap network to check out my work at www.Disegnostudio.com

Ok let’s talk a bit about how you do the marketing of Disegnostudio. You have a large list of clients and projects and have built up an extensive portfolio of branding work. Any tips on promotion and marketing you can share with us?

My clients have almost all come to me by word of mouth.

The tips I would share with you are communicate, communicate, communicate and when you do, be yourself and be sincere. Tell those who are interested, what you do, how you do it, and why you do it.

In the beginning I put the word on the street that I was transitioning into a new career as a graphic designer. It was encouraging to see how many people responded by sending work my way or by passing my name to others. I still do this when I’m looking to generate new work and it inevitably yields results. I also keep in regular touch with my clients by way of email, phone calls, my quarterly newsletter, holiday cards, and the like, especially those clients I might not have worked with for a while.

When I left my job with the federal government and ventured into graphic design, a good bit of that early freelance work was done for the very group of people I’d just been employed with, and almost ten years later I am still doing work for the civil service on a regular basis. So another piece of advice I would give is to go above and beyond to nurture relationships with those you respect and who respect you.

I have also found clients in the most unlikely places: dog park, house party, community centre, temp admin assignment, and pottery class to name a few, so never underestimate the impact you might have on people in any circumstance. The biggest client I’ve had to date is someone I met at a social event where I didn’t have a single business card on me – a classic blunder. But we ended up working together for four and a half years. Good things can happen when you least expect it. I tend to strike up conversations with strangers quite easily. This sort of friendliness can be both a blessing and a curse.

When we were chatting earlier you mentioned one big challenge you’re facing as a specialized print designer is the whole shift in the print design market to digital/online design. Can you reflect a bit on this shift and how as a print designer you’re dealing with this?

Print is not dead as people may have you believe, but over the past few years there has been a marked decline in the amount of print work I am being asked to design. This trend is also reflected in the closure of many reputable print shops in the city. It pains me a little to see this shift away from print because I know first hand how a really effective print piece will beg to be interacted with, can pack a hefty wallop and can deliver a strong message effectively. I just wish people would be more discerning about what they print and how much they print. There is no doubt that less printed material means less waste, and I’m certainly a supporter of less waste, but sometimes circumstances require you to create something tactile and sumptuous that will allow you to hold someone’s attention longer than an email or a webpage can.

Despite all the wonderful qualities of paper though, there’s no denying that new technologies are making the online experience more and more memorable and are catering to a growing population that is demanding pixels over paper. The print designer has to stay current by taking on a variety of work, both print and web-based. Over the years I’ve been happy to count among my professional network, a series of web developers and programmers who have worked collaboratively to help me deliver digital projects to my clients’ specifications. My recent schooling in web-based technologies is helping me stay current, and I will continue in this direction for the forseesable future. Having said that, if I ever have an opportunity to learn how to operate a letterpress (think Gutenberg), I’ll gladly jump at that chance too. I rarely limit the options. I’ve always got my hands in a bunch of creative pies.

Very interesting stuff…Let’s stay on this digital shift in the design industry for a minute here. There are now many online services around where businesses can post their design projects and then get back a bunch of design options from “designers” from all over the world for a low price. What do you think about these kinds of services and have they affected your business at all in terms of clients expecting lower prices or comparing these online services to what you offer? (….More)

I’m sure lots of you have already heard that over the past weekend (Sat, May 29th) Freelance Camp hit Canada for the first time right here in Vancouver!

It was amazing to see a turnout of over 150 freelancers, consultants, small business owners, and entrepreneurs from the Vancouver area and beyond come out to represent.

The format of the day was open and any participant that wanted to present a talk just pitched their idea to the crowd and if it got some votes the talk was slotted in to the day’s schedule.

There were all sorts of cool talks given including things like “No more bad days” by Ben Kadel from Emotus Operandi, “Dream projects: Common Threads To Get More” by Ted Morgan from Cabin Works Media, and I even gave a talk called “Biz Card Science”. You can check out notes and more details on the Wiki Minna Van set up that covers the overall event and presentations in much more detail: http://freelancecamp.pbworks.com

All in all it was a great day for the Vancouver freelance and consulting scene (I must say I’m happy to be part of it through Advicetap). As I jumped the bus back home and reflected on the day I couldn’t help but feel how positive and supportive the group was and I think all attendees left feeling motivated and juiced to keep pushing hard on their freelance and business paths.

Thanks again to the Network Hub for putting it on and for photos of the day shot out to the talented Jeremy Lim.

Today we caught up with the entrepreneur, blogger, and savvy business consultant Elie Kochman. Elie shares some interesting views on building a consulting business, power networking, and getting things done. Check it out!

What’s up Elie, welcome to the Advicetap Blog. First off introduce yourself and your company Optimal Upgrade Consulting.

Optimal Upgrade Consulting is about helping small businesses become larger by helping them with the technology aspects of growth. Along the way, information about the types of problems experienced by larger businesses is passed along, so that our clients not only get the solutions they need, but also understand why and how those solutions work.

The consulting balances the need to educate with the need for a real solution. What we offer our clients is that not only will they get the technical solution chosen, but we’ll also help them understand why it was chosen, its uses, its limitations. This helps them going forward because they know what they can and can’t do with the programs or systems we’ve set up for them, and we’ve ensured that it will last them well be being extendable as their business grows.

When did you decide to take the leap from working in a corporate environment to starting and running your own consulting business? What have some of the challenges been for running your biz and how have you been dealing with these challenges?

Well, truth be told, I’m only making my final break from the corporate world now, though I’ve been consulting on the side for the past two years. It’s been a long and slow transition.

The biggest challenge I’ve been facing is possibly the reason it’s taken so long to go fully solo. I haven’t figured out a way to really solve this problem, so I’ve found a couple ways to bypass it. The problem is that my ideal clients are usually completely unaware of the types of issues I solve, mostly because they don’t apply to them – yet. What I try to do is make sure that they never face those problems, or, if they do, that they’ll be properly prepared. But the problem remains of convincing clients that they need my services.

The two ways I bypass this issue are to use referrals from other businesses that offer complementary services, and to offer some complementary services myself. That’s why you’ll see information on my site about website development and custom software development – because these are the types of things that my clients typically also need. By getting them to talk to me about that need, I can often help them with some of the more fundamental issues they’re trying to solve.

On your blog you mention that you’ve come to the realization that “many small business owners do not have the knowledge they need to smoothly expand their businesses”. What do you mean by this and through your services how do you go about helping these businesses out?

It’s really just a question of exposure, and a need or want to know. The average small business owner will know how to run a business of their size, but without a background in larger businesses, they have no way of knowing the kinds of problems that face bigger companies. They also don’t know if some of these problems have already been solved – so they often think that they’re the first ones with this particular problem. Without a background in IT or spending huge amounts of time reading updates on the latest trends, they’ll also be unaware of what new programs or websites are out there that can help them grow to the next level. (….More)