Creative Juices has launched their newest website: Diorama Fantasies

“Diorama Fantasies is the brainchild of Joe Trujillo, a forty year veteran of portraits and figure building. He has developed his own form and style of miniature Dioramas: that of vivid images, details, and three dimensional scenery. His style which has been nourished by astute observation of all forms of art and his life long involvement with drawing and different forms of painting… Joe Trujillo’s award winning dioramas and art works have appeared in art shows and conventions such as Mad Model Party, Imagination Expos, New Jersey’s Chiller Theater, San Diego’s Comic-Con, 06/07/08 Wonder Fest, and most recently 09 Monsterpalooza, The Art of Monsters. Diorama Fantasies and Joe Trujillo are committed to providing both the hobbyist and the serious collectors with the best in original resin model kits and other pieces of art. With the main objective that art may be lived by all those who wish to savor it and should be made accessible by all, to experience its beauty.”

You can also check out some of our other exciting website designs. We offer quite a large, diverse collection. Having been in the graphics business since 1981 we were there at the start of the “World Wide Web” craze. Quite a difference from typesetting and pasting up forms to designing state of the art websites to be seen all over the world.

Upgrading from XP to Windows 7 in Fusion 3 and Snow Leopard

Talk about complicated. Luckily I’m only running QuickBooks Pro 2010 on my Windows OS.

Through much trial and error and online research I will tell you what I discovered in a few easy steps.

1. Install VMware Fusion 3 on your Mac OS Snow Leopard. That’s fairly easy.

2. Set up a new Virtual Machine. If you have Windows XP in one Virtual Machine you can leave it there. You don’t have to back up your files or wipe your “virtual disk” clean. I’m not sure if this is approved by Windows but it works.

3. Create a new Virtual Machine and install a clean (new) version of Windows 7, not an “Upgrade”. When asked for your key, do not use your upgrade key because it won’t be accepted. Leave it blank.

4. When Windows 7 is up and running, put the Windows 7 disk back in and this time click “Upgrade”. It will see the existing Windows OS and will accept the upgrade key.

5. When installed you have to get your system activated within 30 days. And then you’re done. It worked for me and I hope it works for you.

You can get greater details by doing a little searching online. It is assumed that you have a legal version of Windows XP on your system or in your possession.

Google Analytics Apps for iPhone have gone missing.

I discovered recently that both AnalyticsPro and myAnalytics no longer work on the iPhone. After a little research I’ve found they are both missing from the iPhone app store. Hmmm.

According to Analytics App Google ahs made changes in their authentication process. The people at Analytics App are working on this. I guess the other two apps have given up and disappeared.

I guess you never know when the app you’ve paid for will become worthless.

Photoshop CS4 and Snow Leopard

Photoshop CS4  is not playing nice with my Snow Leopard. If you’ve been having font issues and quitting issues it may be because your Photoshop is running in Rosetta. A little research showed that running an older Epson scanner caused my copy of Photoshop to run in Rosetta.

Sounds pretty, but suddenly I could no longer double click on a PSD file and have it open in Photoshop. Saving files sometimes caused the program to crash. And Photoshop never quit. Always had to force quit.

So if you go to “Get Info” on your Photoshop icon you will see the Running in Rosetta option checked. Uncheck it and with any luck your Photoshop will be running like it’s supposed to.

The Value of Design. Just how much is your company image worth?

The design world has changed quite a bit since I began Creative Juices in 1981. Back then no one knew how to typeset except a small number of trained “experts”. Design was valued. You went to a professional for everything, from a logo design to a simple form. And you expected to pay hundreds, if not thousands of dollars for truly creative, unique artwork.

Creative talent took the time to develop unique logos, brochures, artwork, illustrations, you name it. A company brand was something important. It still is today, just not so much.

You can now go online and find a logo design for $149 or less. Website templates are available for less than $100 or free if you sign up for a hosting plan. Brochure templates are free with programs such as Word or Pages. If you’re a self employed graphic designer it’s a tough world to get work in.

The problem is design has become a commodity. Something generic you can easily purchase, place your name on and call it a day.

So how can you really stand out? By believing your company is worth investing in. By spending a little extra for a logo, or a website, a brochure, or even a business card.

In other words, saving money by purchasing a logo online may not be the best choice for your new business. You only have one chance to make a first impression on a potential client. Do you really want them to see that your entire business brand is only worth $149?

Think about it.

–This is a public service message hoping to teach the value of calling a professional graphic arts studio like Creative Juices when you want to develop a brand for your exciting new business venture.

5 Ways to Make Money Now!

Are you in business for yourself and need more income? Who doesn’t… There are many ways to increase your income. Here are a few.

1. Increase your prices. Sounds scary but it’s a good way to get more money. The trick is to add more value to your product or service at the same time. People are willing to pay more if they feel they are getting more value for their money.
2. Cut expenses. Find creative ways to cut your bills down to size. Do you really need 5 business lines? Try using call waiting. Recycle paper. Take that printing job your customer never picked up or paid for and use the blank side in your printer. But only print things that are necessary. Save paper, save a tree.
3. Advertising on your website. Try using AdSense from Google or sign up with affiliate programs. Then whenever someone clicks an ad on your site and makes a purchase, you make money. You can’t lose. Just make sure you’re not advertising for your competition.
4. Pay off your credit cards. Of course you have to have money to do this. But by not paying high interest each month you save lots of money. At least it’s a good goal to have.
5. Sell more. Easier said than done, these days. But if you’re creative and good at what you do and/or sell, then why not try to sell more. Send out e-mails (do not spam). Update your website. Advertise a special. Sign up with online directories. When all else fails, call Creative Juices.

Why you need a custom twitter backdrop.

Any kind of social networking involves sharing your “brand” with the world. You want to present your best image and you want people to recognize your company wherever you are.

So if you’re into twittering for your business, you really need to create a custom backdrop. It is the first thing people will see before they decide to follow you. So at the very least you should have your company logo and design/color scheme that matches your website. (What, you don’t have a website? Contact Creative Juices immediately.)

Besides building on your brand, your custom twitter backdrop also allows you to give more contact information on yourself and your company, beyond the 160 characters twitter allows. This is a great opportunity for you to show how professional and creative you really are. And it’s all free. Unless, of course, you hire someone to utilize their creative juices and create an outstanding twitter backdrop for you.

15 Ways to Website Success

A lot of thought needs to go into designing your website before you put it online. Your website is who you are (or want to be). It’s often the first thing people see and learn about you and your business. It’s the first impression you give and you only have a few seconds to hook a potential client.

So here are some things to think about when setting up your website.

1. Choose a Domain Name that is easy to remember and has meaning. It should relate to your business.
2. Use your logo on your website. If you don’t have one, get one. Just typing your name shows very little thought went into your business and people will pick up on that right away.
3. Put your logo on every page to maintain your brand. It’s also helpful to link your logo back to your home page.
4. Find a reputable host. Preferably one that offers 24/7 phone service and tech support. Don’t trust those you can’t reach. Creative Juices Domains is one of thousands of places to choose from. I prefer it because it’s part of the Creative Juices creative factory of services.
5. Make sure your website looks unique and professional. The navigation should be easy and the color scheme should match your image. Don’t just use a template. If you’re on a budget (and who isn’t these days) call Creative Juices to find ways to stand out on the web.
6. Test your site to see if it looks good on all browsers and platforms. The main ones are Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari and Chrome. There is also a difference between Windows and Mac.
7. Have something interesting to say on your website. It’s not enough to just have pretty pictures or fancy Flash effects. You want to include information that people will find helpful. If you are a plumber, include articles on how to fix things yourself or explain why it’s better to hire a plumber and not mess up your pipes.
8. Test all your links and make sure they work. People want to feel you’re on top of all this stuff.
9. Include title tags, keywords and meta tags. These are important for search engine optimization. Check out your competitors and see what they are doing. If you haven’t a clue about what these are, give us a call. We’re here to help.
10. Sign up with Google Analytics and see who’s searching for your site, what keywords they used to find you and where are they coming from.
11. Register with the main search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Bing and especially target local search engines. There’s less competition there.
12. Find directories in your field and sign up to be listed. It’s usually free and also provides links to your site which helps with your optimization.
13. Write a blog about what you know best, preferably related to your business, and link it back to your site.
14. Twitter about yourself, your business, helpful hints, specials and reach a whole tribe of followers who look to you for information.
15. Add new content on a regular basis. Search engines love this and it gives people a reason to come back to your site. That’s a good thing.

When in doubt, consult a web professional. I recommend the folks at the Creative Juices factory, primarily because that’s me. And advice is always free.

5 Easy Steps to Email Marketing

The hard part of email marketing is deciding to do it and then sticking with it. Here’s an easy plan to help you get started.

1. Create a website. (Chances are you already have one, but if not, check out Creative Juices for a custom site or you can opt for a template driven site.)
2. Sign up with an email company such as Express Email Marketing or Constant Contact.
3. Add a sign-up form to your website to collect e-mail addresses. Offer something free.
4. Add your current client database to your new e-mail marketing account. Remember though, spamming your clients is a big no no. Don’t Spam. And always give an opt out.
5. Pick a template, customize it, and write exciting and helpful copy for your first e-mail campaign. Be sure to tell a bit about yourself and include your phone number, link to website and call for action.

Or you could just hire someone like Creative Juices to do all this for you. How easy is that?!

8 Tips on Getting Paid for your Work

Times are tough. And everyone is out to get a good deal. But it’s really hard to pay your bills when you work for free. So here’s some tips on getting paid for your work in the service industry.

1. Agree on a price and get a deposit. I prefer 50%.

2. Make sure the deposit goes through. Sometimes those pesky checks have a way of bouncing out of your bank account. And this incurs an ugly fee.

3. Do the job on time and do it well. Who wants to pay for a crummy job. Great work means happy customers.

4. Get paid in advance for services you sub out. Sometimes clients have a way of disappearing, even if they give a deposit.

5. Get paid for the job upon completion.

Beware of these excuses:

6. I’ll pay you next week. I need the job now. (That’s what credit cards are for. Otherwise no deal.)

7. I have lots more work to give you. I will keep you so busy. Please just let me have this now. (That work will never come. If it does, good luck getting paid for it too.)

8. How about a trade? (Usually the trade is for something you don’t want or need, if you ever get it.)

Remember, your time is worth money. Check out this link:

Time is Money